


Started with an Auction

by Mjb



Category: Sean McLoughlin - Fandom, Septiplier - Fandom, jacksepticeye, mark fischbach - Fandom, markiplier - Fandom
Genre: Eventual Smut, Gay Male Character, I'll add more tags as I figure this mess out, M/M, Male-Male Relationship, Maybe mpreg, Trigger Warnings, i'll let you know, it gets sad folks
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-12-07
Updated: 2017-10-25
Packaged: 2018-09-07 02:58:14
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 53
Words: 78,160
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8780470
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mjb/pseuds/Mjb
Summary: Starting off meeting at a fund raiser for Mark's charity, Mark and Jack quickly became friends and maybe more. Jack wants to offer his services with the pet shelters and Mark is more than happy to let him help.





	1. Charity

"Remind me again why I agreed to do this? I'm going to be a third fucking wheel tonight." Jack stared in the mirror adjusting his tie as Felix impatiently tapped his foot against the wood floor.

"Because you are boring, you never go out anymore and this is the perfect opportunity to get out of the house." He inched his way to the door trying to urge the Irishman to hurry.

"Ya know I'm only going for the charity so don't expect me to socialize or anything."

Felix sighed and rolled his eyes, "Fine, but if we don't go now, Marzia will have our heads." he grabbed the sleve of Jack's jacket, making sure not to wrinkle the tux, dragging him to the car.

The Swedish man was right, Jack did tend to bury himself in his work, sketching, building models, doing presentations and traveling all around the world to oversee his creations come to life. Some of them tower high over the landscape, others more down to earth, simple yet elegant. He was very sought after for his designs and kept a constant stream of clients. He often thought of hiring employees and starting his own firm but for now, he wanted sole control over his babies as they came to life- being an architect was difficult but rewarding. 

Marzia came out shortly after the car pulled into the driveway, she wore a long dark purple dress that shimered in the light. Her pale skin peaked out from the slit trailing up her leg, rings of reddish hair fell over her shoulder as she made her way down the steps. Felix stared in awe at how beautiful she looked, Jack stared in awe of how Felix managed to get a lovely girl like her.

"You look stunning girl, do a little twirl for me" Felix cooed at his lovely girlfriend as she giggled and twirled for him showing off her new dress. He held her hand and opened the door to the car, helping her in then gesturing to Jack who was now demoted to backseat. 

The three were heading to a charity event being held just outside of downtown LA in a building resembling a warehouse. The event was being hosted by the Game Grumps who held an annual "Guys and Dolls" auction night yearly, this year's charity was Little Dumpling Pet Rescue founded by business CEO Mark Fischbach.

Mark was best known for creating Little Dumpling Toys and Treats, the pet food and accessory company, but now also is the founder of the charity at the center of tonights gala. In his early twenties, he started Little Dumpling Toys and Treats in the heart of Cincinnati where he grew up but as the company expanded, Mark moved to LA to further his business. Now, with some stability and a multi million dollar company under his belt, he created the Little Dumpling Pet Rescue which helps rescue and rehabilitate injured, abused and homeless animals before finding them loving homes. There are currently forty locations in thirty two states nation wide and if all goes well with the fund raiser, Mark plans to open five more locations.

Most say that Mark busies himself in his companies, running not only the pet food and toy company but also the rescue shelter closest to his home in LA. Others, that know him best, know that he does indeed overwhelm himself with work in order to avoid any sort of personal relationships or social interactions. It's not that he hates going out, he just finds it unimportant to him at this point in his life.

Mark was excited to tonight's fund raiser though, he wanted to host it himself but with the reputation the Grumps have with their annual "Guys and Dolls" charity event, he knew he was in good hands. The event was being held just outside of LA in an old converted warehouse, inside, the naked beams across the ceiling were donned with white and red lanters that reflected nicely off the black marble floor. The center of the room held numerous tall tables covered in shimmering white fabric that hung to the floor topped with centerpieces filled with red roses and stargazer lillies. To the left, was the silent auction that consisted of items donated from local companies and individuals, lined up to be bid on throughout the night and to the right was a full access bar. Straight ahead was a stage set with gold colored cutains, a single mic stand as well as a band setting up to play.

The event was invitation only, as Marzia, Felix and Jack arrived, Felix divied up their tickets to be presented at the door for entrance. The three walked in, took in the sights and headed over to the bar for refreshments retreating to one of the tall tables. They stood and talked for a bit before the band began to play, it was a jazz band lead by a beautiful dark skinned alto singer wearing a red dress, hair pulled back in a tight bun decorated with black and read feathers. As she began to sing, Felix led Marzia out to the dance floor as Jack stood by himself babysitting their three glasses as he slowly sipped from his own. 

Tonight's auction was not only a silent auction but also a "Guys and Dolls" auction where well known individuals donated their time to be auctioned off to bidders, some could go out for drinks or dinner, others attending movies or plays with their favorite celebrities. Marzia was particularly excited about this since her favorite author, Suzy Berhow, was donating her time to some lucky bidder.

"I'm so excited, I have to win that night with Suzy, we can have tea, talk about books, fashion....oh Felix, I have to win this." Marzia said grasping Felix's arm trying hard to contain her excitment. 

"I just don't get it, so it's like a date you pay for, it's prostitution without the sex." Jack teased the beautiful woman standing at the table with him.

"Jaaack, that's not it at all, I admire her and want to spend time with her..this way I not only get to do that but I donate to save the animals as well."

"Well, I guess if it's to save the puppies then I'll back you on it." His attention was drawn to Arin who was tonight's emcee showing up on stage, taking the mic in hand.

"Alright everyone, this is your last chance to get the bidding paddles for tonights live auction of the fine ladies and gentlemen we have lined up for you so see your way to the side table to register. We should be starting here in about fifteen minutes." As he left the stage, the tall and lanky yet handsome Grump Danny took over singing duties for the evening.

"Felix, can you get our paddles please?" Marzia said barely able to contain her excitement.

"Sure dear, be right back." the Swedish man made his way over to the crowded table for registration.

Shortly after returning to the table, Felix handed Jack his own paddle, "Here, in case you find something you want to take home for the night"

Jack rolled his eyes taking the paddle and another long drink from his cocktail. The auction was starting, lights lowered and the stage lit up as Arin took to the stage again. 

"Welcome ladies and gentlemen to the "Guys and Dolls" celebrity auction, break out your wallets and empty your purses as we bid to support the wonderful charity Little Dumpling Pet Rescue. Speaking of which, we have the man in charge here with us, Mark, can you join me on stage?" Arin motioned for Mark to come out.

The red head slowly made his way from behind the curtains to the stage he didn't plan to embark upon as a mic was thrust into his hand for a speech. "I'm glad you all could make it out tonight, it really means a lot to me as well as all of the loving pets you are helping tonight. I truly appreciate your generosity so without further ado, let's start the auction." He handed the mic back to Arin as someone from the crowd yelled asking if he was up for auction tonight as well. 

A blush came over his face and he was handed the mic back to answer, "Well I wasn't planning on it" everyone made an upset noise as he looked down at his feet and shifted nervously on the stage."well, I could if it will help out the animal rescue...sure...sure, I'll be up later I guess." The crowd applauded as the first guest made it to the stage to be auctioned off. 

Arin resumed his emcee duties, "First up, how about dinner and a trip to the zoo with none other than Dean himself Jensen Ackles." The actor made his way out on the stage, flexing he muscles to entice more bids, "Let's start the bidding at five hundred dollars..."

The auction was under way as Marzia grasped her paddle waiting for Suzy to come out, Jack on the other hand stood speechless with a certain CEO on his mind.


	2. Going Once, Twice, SOLD

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Let the bidding commence

Felix's eyes shifted from Jack to the stage then back to Jack, "Holy shit man, you're going to bid aren't you?"

Jack shot a look to Felix alerting him to shut it or face the wrath of the tiny leprechaun, "What..n-no...I don't know whay you're talking about." He tightened his grip on the paddle used for bidding and turned back to the stage.

A smile came across the Swedish man's face, reminicent of the Grinch, "You're totally interested...you want to win him don't you. Like a fucking trophy." He was breaking out into an almost hysterical laugh.

"S-shut the fuck up man, I'm gonna donate anyway so might as well get to talk about the charity I'm supporting with the man in charge of it...that's it."

"Oh-ho-ho...that's so far from it, you wanna go out with him because you're attracted to him don't you?"

Jack kept very monotone, "Fuck off Felix"

"You wanna mount him like a thoroughbred and ride him to the finish line don't ya?"

"Jaysus Felix" He rolled his eyes and walked away to get another drink, he was going to need it to get through tonight.

Truth is, yes, the thought did cross his mind for a fleeting moment. I mean, look at the man- he practically oozes sex AND he rescues animals on top of that. Jack was hooked. He only saw Mark from a distance, in the glare of the lights on the stage for a few moments, then he spoke. His voice was like warm honey slowly being poured on him, covering his chest and warming his very soul.

"Bring out the next Doll" Arin threw out his arm as the next celebrity was escorted through the curtain. 

Marzia started to bounce on the balls of her feet as her favorite author Suzy Berhow smiled and waved to the audience. 

"So, please tell us what we can expect from a night out with the great writer Suzy." 

She smiles softly as she held up a bound set of loose pages, "Well, I'm offering a pretty exciting opportunity to come to my studio to have tea and read an advanced copy of my newest book. We'll also spend the afternoon at a photo shoot that will be included in the final print as well as a thank you in the preface. Happy bidding"  
Arin put his arm around Suzy and turned his attention back to the audience, "Sounds like a wonderful opportunity for any fan of the beautiful and talented writer. Can we start the bidding at five hundred..."

A woman in about her mid fifties shouted and raised her paddle "Five hundred"

Next a young man with slicked back brown hair shouted from the back "Six hundred"

Several more paddles were raised as Marzia watched her opportunity slip by, she grabbed Felix's arm as he raised his paddle to bid. "Nine hundred"

Arin pointed over to their table, "We have nine hundred, do I hear one thousand?"

"One thousand" was shouted from the back as Marzia huffed in frustration.

"Eleven hundred the woman in her fifty's shouted and waved her paddle"

"Whoa, eleven hundred, do I hear twelve"

Marzia Jumped up and down waving the small white numbered object "Twelve hundred"

"A very enthusiastic twelve hundred to the lovely lady in purple, do I have any more bids....going once, going twice" there was an intense pause, "SOLD to the lady for one thousand two hundred dollars, thank you for your donation."

Her mouth hanging open and eyes wide, Marzia turned slowly to face Felix before she squealed and dove in for a hug which he happily returned.

"I can't believe it, oh Felix, I'm so happy!"

"I know sweetie, I'm happy for you too!"

The three basked in Marzia's excitement, enjoyed a few more cocktails and listened to the commotion of a few more auctions being held. Folks offered amazing experiences to help raise money for the animal shelters, anywhere from internet celebrities Dan and Phil taking a lucky winner to Disneyland for the day and artist Holly Conrad agreeing to doing a portrait of the highest bidder. The room was buzzing with excitement as one after one auction ticked by, finally the last one of the evening came up.

"A late addition to the wonderful collection of Guys and Dolls that were so gracious to donate their time this evening, founder and CEO of the Little Dumpling empire Mark Fischbach." Arin motioned for Mark to come on stage as he was escorted by Danny. The two men showed off Mark like he was a prize up for bid on The Price is Right, gracefully gesturing with their hands towards the red head as he chuckled and blushed. 

Danny rounded behind Mark and slipped off his jacket as Arin grabbed the mic again "Alright ladies and gentlemen, Mark here is a Cancer, loves dogs and long walks on the beach, and did I mention he is very, very single..." a bunch of ooh's and cat calls came from the crowd at Mark's expense. "Now, Mr. Fischbach, what can we expect for a night on the town with you?"

Laughing and shaking his head, Mark took the mic and everyone's attention. Behind him, Danny was reaching around loosening the tie around his neck, "Well, since I had nothing planned here, I will treat my companion to a lovely day at the kennel dining with the dogs...well more like feeding them and scooping kitty litter. Sounds like a great day, I know so don't all jump at once." He looked around in question as Arin stepped in front of him, unbuttoning his shirt then liberating him of the article. Standing in just a tank top undershirt and dress pants, his face was as red as his hair.

Arin held up his arms urging him to flex for the crowd, "Did I mention he is single ladies" he winked as he prepared for the bidding.

"Now this is a special one so we are starting the bidding at one thousand dollars, do I have an opening bid?"

Several paddles were raised, the first being called as the opener. Jack watched patiently just waiting for the right moment, he eyed the others that were bidding.

"I thought you wanted in on this?" Felix nudged him, "Don't let your man get away now"

"Just biding my time" Jack smirked.

There was a current bidding war between a table full of middle aged women in a fit of giggles and surprisingly the beautiful singer in the red dress from earlier. Mark was rather nervous about that one since he recognized her as Maxine, his ex girlfriend. 

It was true that in the most recent months, Mark buried himself with work but in all honesty, he was not inexperienced in the dating department. Most recently he ended a long term relationship with Max over the fact that they both wanted different things out of life. She enjoyed the finer things, lavish vacations, jewels, etc. while Mark lead a more simplistic life throwing his efforts into rescuing animals. Max loved Mark but hated the fact that he would bring home a stray every other night, she especially was not a dog person.

Maxine raised her paddle with a strong voice trying to undercut any other bids, "I bid five thousand dollars." A hush came over the audience at the unusually high bid.

"Whoa, we have a five thousand dollar bid ladies and gentlemen from the beautiful women in the red dress. Do I hear fifty one hundred?" Arin looked over the crowd for any paddles being raised to see none. Mark's nerves began to set in, it's not that Max was not a lovely person but she wanted something Mark didn't and was willing to jump through hoops to get it- a relationship.

"Five thousand going once" She stood and with a pleased smirk on her face, "Five thousand going twice" She made her way to the edge of the stage.

"Ten thousand dollars" a mysterious Irish accent raised from the crowd. Felix's mouth dropped open as he stared at the paddle raised next to him.

"Holy cow!, Ten Thousand Dollars ladies and gentlemen" Arin pointed in Jack's direction as Mark's head shot in his direction staring in disbelief. 

"Then it's settled, ten thousand going once, twice, SOLD to the gentlemen with the green hair. Congrats sir you just made a lot of pets lives a whole hell of a lot better.

Maxine stomped off, pissed at the missed opportunity knowing she would make one again in the immediate future. Jack and Mark met in the middle of the room, the green haired man extending his hand for a friendly handshake was taken off guard as the red head pulled him into a strong hug. He was more than excited to the overly generous donation as well as the save from his ex.


	3. Getting to Know You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mark and Jack meet and chat over a drink

The hug was short lived, more like bro's hugging out a victory after the big game. Mark pat Jack on the back before breaking it-much sooner than Jack would have liked. Being nervous from the stage, Mark had a light sheen of sweat gracing his forehead and bare arms that Jack happened to run his hand across as he let go. It sent a shiver down his back, the feeling of Mark's slick rippling bicep under his hand... what has Jack gotten himself into.

"Wow man, I can't believe you just donated ten thousand dollars, I don't know how to thank you." The red head said with a grin on his face.

"Yeah..." Jack trailed off. "Ya know, anything for the animals, right?" trying to play it cool.

"I'm Mark by the way, Mark Fischbach"

"I know"

Mark laughed at his flighty moment "Yes, yes, of course you do."

"Sean Mcloughlin, but everyone calls me Jack- nice to meet you"

"Pleasure is all mine Jack" Mark gestured over to the bar and placed his hand on Jack's lower back, "Care for a drink?"

Jack knew he already had a few drinks but what's one more, right? The two new acquaintances made their way over to the bar, Jack ordering a whiskey on the rocks and Mark a dirty martini with extra olives, they took their drinks to retreat to a dark, quiet corner off the side of the silent auction area. 

"So, since we'll be spending the day together then I thought we should get to know each other so it's not quite so awkward. Plus I don't let just anyone get their hands on my puppies." Mark nudged Jack, wiggling his eyebrows.

Jack looked at him like he was nuts, he really had no idea what he was talking about.

Mark took a sip of his martini then nervously played with the stem ware between his fingers, "I figured I could take you on a tour of one of the kennels and introduce you to some of the rescues we work with... U-unless you had something else in mind you wanted to do. I mean honestly, I was just thrown into this so I have no idea what I'm doing here and you were so generous that I just don't want to disappoint."

"Holy shit man, take a breath. It's cool, I'd love a tour. Really, I have no expectations, I just kind of bid on a whim. I mean, I was going to donate but didn't exactly expect anything out of it." That was only half of a lie.

"Thanks...I mean really, this means so much to me. These animals are my world and I wish I could save every one of them. I tend to get into the habit of bringing home strays from time to time" Mark got noticeably emotional when he started talking about the rescues.

Jack could tell he really did have a heart of gold, he cared so much, maybe even to a fault. He had heard before that Mark tended to throw himself into his work, similar to the way Jack does, but that seems to be as far as his interest is going in this meeting. In Jack's perspective, Mark could care less about who was sitting in front of him, as long as they wrote the check and he could fund the new shelters he was happy.

"I'm being terribly rude, please tell me more about yourself." 

The Irishman had no idea where to start, he couldn't very well tell Mark that half of his interest in the bidding was to get to spend some time with him so he kept the conversation pretty surface at the moment. "Well, I'm originally from Althone Ireland, moved here with my family at the ripe ole age of thirteen. You can imagine how that went, attending a new school, with this accent, at that age..." He shook his head and chuckled lightly. 

"Anyway, I survived school then attended college in LA for architecture which is what I do today."

Mark nodded along politely, "So how about family, wife, kids..."

"Nah, nothing like that. I just too busy with work that I don't get much time to socialize these days. How about you, anyone special in your life?"

"Not for a while now. I mean, I had a pretty long term girlfriend as of a few months ago, the that didn't work out too well." Mark didn't mention his ex was the one that Jack had outbid for his time.

Outside of that, Mark didn't really ask anymore personal questions from Jack, really just talked about his interest in the charity then about their childhood pets. The men chatted for a bit until their glasses were empty, after that they exchanged info, shook hands and went their separate ways. Jack made his way back to the table with Marzia and Felix, knowing the hell he was about to walk into. 

"Ten thousand, that's one expensive booty call." Felix razzed the Irishman.

"It's not a date, trust me, he seemed to care less about who was in front of him. Plus he mentioned he had a girlfriend so he's not gay. Still, he seems like an ok guy and I get to tour the shelters and stuff so....yeah." Jack had a hint of disappointment in his voice that he was trying to hide.

"Well, you at least have one guaranteed date to charm his pants off so we have some work to do." Felix glanced over at Marzia who smiled back seemingly to know exactly what the Sweedish man had in mind.

Mark quickly rounded the crowd, shaking hands and thanking everyone for their donations then promptly left. He wasn't really comfortable in social situations like this so he excused himself a few minutes early to head home. Once there, he was warmly welcomed with cold pizza and a warm belly as his dog Chica snuggled up to Mark on the couch.

"Oh Chica-Bika, how am I going to get through an entire day with a complete stranger. He seemed nice enough but for ten thousand dollars, I feel like I need to juggle knives for him. Maybe it would have been easier if Max won the bid instead, even if she didn't like you much...but I love you and that's what matters right?" Mark sat on his couch with a plate of cold leftover pizza, fluffy blonde fur covering his lap and remote control in hand, this is his idea of a great evening.

Jack arrived home that evening after the event promptly changing into his pajama pants and comfy t-shirt. He made himself a single serving of ramen and veggies, made his way to the couch grabbing the remote. Propping his feet up, he enjoyed dinner and a movie he'd already seen ten times with the red head still stirring in the back of his mind. Knowing this wasn't really the most exciting life to live, he was content with it for the time being.


	4. The Kittens Need Rescued

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mark goes on a rescue then to dinner with his friend Wade

Jack was supposed to have his...meeting? Date? Paid time? whateverthefuckitis... with Mark on Friday. Until then he had a ton of work to do on a project, then also preparing for a special presentation for a client out of the country. The project is for a local Law firm, Muyskerm and Barnes, who needed a new location for their growing firm. They didn't want just any building though, they wanted a statement.

This is where Jack shined, his designs weren't just practical, they were works of art and that's exactly what the lawyers were wanting. The Irishman went through sketch by sketch, finally deciding on three to present to the team. For the presentation, he was building mini scale models of the structures so they could be presented in 3-D form as opposed to something on paper or computer.

To Jack, this was the most tedious and time consuming part, and far from his favorite part of the job so he knew it would probably take all week just to complete one. The firm agreed to seeing one model per week for the next three weeks so number one needed to be in no later than Friday. Needless to say, Jack had his hands full.

It never really got very cold in LA but during the winter months, Mark would start to become swamped with calls coming from outside areas about rescues. He liked to, as much as possible, attend to the rescues himself if it was anywhere near his area. 

He had received a call about several kittens that were abandoned in a box under a building set to be demolished just outside of the San Bernadino area. According to the company, the box was unreachable to any of their employees and they wouldn't put their men in danger to continue to try a rescue. They contacted Little Dumpling Pet rescue to see if they would be able to scale to the basement of the unsound and quickly crumbling structure to retrieve the small bundles. Mark agreed right away as he contacted one of his best volunteers to help out. 

"Wade, I need some help. Looks like I'm probably going to need to harness in on this one and put my rock climbing skills to the test."

Wade always helped out on rescues that were a bit more tricky, he was smart and cunning and could usually find a way to get through any tight spaces. "Sure Mark, I can meet you there this evening."

The rescue was indeed tricky but the two pulled it off without a hitch. Wade helped strap in into the harness, attached to the front of his Jeep and helped lower Mark down towards the basement. He made his way past a few piles of rubble, tip toed along the edge of a wall where the floor had given out then shimmied his way down a drain pipe to the basement. The two men rescued the five kittens, taking them back to the shelter Mark usually works at to get them some medical attention and a place to stay. After they knew they were in good hands with Molly, the vet that worked there, they went out to dinner to celebrate.

During dinner, Mark asked out the new building for Wade and his business partner Bob's firm. "So I heard you guys were going the artistic route for the building, did you find a company to design it yet." Mark questioned as he waited for his dinner to arrive.

"Yeah, actually there's this guy that's like really popular and pretty hard to get that agreed to do a couple of models for us. I'm pretty excited, he's damn good at what he does and this is sure to wow our clients." Wade gushed over the architect/artist they had gotten lucky enough to hire.

"That's great man, you really deserve it. Sometimes 'good deeds' really do pay off huh?" Mark referred to the charity work the firm did with the elderly and disabled community that needed representation but couldn't always afford it.

Just in time, dinner arrived. The two dug in immediately, "So what's the guy's name" Mark questioned around a mouth full of fries.

"It's Sean something...I don't know but Molly has a couple of books that feature his buildings as works of art. He's sent us over designs already and is supposed to be submitting some scale models the end of this week. I still haven't met him yet but his work is pretty impressive"

"Hey, speaking of good deeds, that fundraiser! I can't believe how well it went over, I'm impressed, you put on quite the show with that auction thing." Wade started poking fun of Mark being auctioned off to the highest bidder. "Too bad it wasn't some beautiful gal that would sweep you off your feet and finally make you happy, man, you deserve it."

"Nah, but the guy that won seems pretty cool. We had a drink together and exchanged info so he could tour the facility on Friday. I think he said he was some sort of business owner but it was so loud in there that I didn't really catch it. I just kind of smiled and went with it." He chuckled at himself, "Guess I'll find out what I got myself into in a few days."

"Just smile and wave boys, just smile and wave" Wade waved blindly as he mocked Mark. "Soooo, I couldn't help but notice Maxine was there too- she seemed pretty hell bent on winning that auction but I have to say it was pretty sweet seeing the wind knocked out of her sails when that guy outbid her."

"You have no idea. I mean, she's nice and all but I know exactly what she's up to and I'm just not ready for that kind of relationship- it just didn't feel right with her and it seemed to get worse as time went on." Mark had already downed all of his fries, now eyeing Wade's.

Wade smacked Mark's hand away from his dinner and went on, "No offence but I never really liked the girl, she's a bit of a gold digger if you ask me."

"I didn't ask but I can see why you say that, and it's not like she was always like that- just more so toward the end" Staring off in the distance at nothing particular, Mark seemed to get lost in is memories of his and Max's relationship.

Mark's and Maxine's relationship started out innocent enough, meeting at a small club she was singing at. They exchanged numbers, went on a few dates then quickly became inseparable. At first they spent a lot of time at parks, going on walks with Chica and having picnics. After their relationship started to get more serious, Maxine started to change her tune, convincing Mark to leave behind the walks in the park for fancy dinners and weekend trips to Malibu. Soon, Max spent most of her time at Mark's apartment and it wasn't long before she started to redecorate to her more expensive taste. The longer it went on, the more Mark's home became less...Mark. He tried to set boundaries but she would turn on her charms and he was putty in her hands, pretty soon she started demanding Chica stay off the furniture and even wanted Mark to force her to be an outside dog. That's where he drew the line, to love him one must love his dog as well- Chica was like his child and he'd make damn sure she was treated as such. This along with Max's spending habits were their ultimate demise.

"Hellooo, Earth to Mark", Wade waved his hand in front of Mark's face.

"Huh, what...oh, I kinda dazed off there for a second, what did you say?"

"I just asked if you had any plans this weekend" Wade asked as he took another bite of his dinner.

"Working as usual, I have a few hours to put in at the office before going in at the shelter. How about you and Molly, anything fun going on?"

"Well, we're going out again on Friday night but that's about it." His face drew a red tinge to it.

"Seems to be getting serious between you two, I promise not to bother you with any rescues or pickups on Friday then so you two can have some alone time."

"Thanks man, honestly- I think she may be the one."

"I'm happy for you man, that's awesome." Mark said as he patted his friends hand.

Wade sighed, "I just wish you could find someone"

"It'll happen eventually, right now, my calling is the rescue."


	5. Totally not a Date

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jack and Mark finally meet again and have their day together.

The remainder of the week went by in no time, Mark didn't have anymore rescues called in so he spent his time cleaning cages, walking dogs and running his multi million dollar company. Pretty diverse schedule if you ask me. Then there's Jack who finished his project early and attempted to get a head start on next weeks presentation so, for him, there was little time for anything else. Actually, he almost forgot that Friday was his day with Mark...almost.

"You need to drop your project and get your little ass over here tonight and that's an order directly from Marzia." Felix was told to persuade Jack to Marzia's tonight in order for her to help prepare him for his date, not date.

Jack grumbled under his breath, "Fine, but before I come over, what the hell am I walking in to?"

"Well, Marzia was wanting to help pick out a new outfit for your date tomorrow, ya know, since the last time you went shopping was probably when Gangham Style was still a thing."

"You do realize it's not a date, the man isn't even gay Felix."

"I don't know man, let's get your ass in some skinny jeans and I bet he'd be at least a little gay for ya." Felix was cracking himself up at Jack's expense, catching his breath he went on, "Come on, do it for Marzia...please"

"Do I seriously have to?"

Marzia shouted from the background, "Pretty please Jackie."

"Fiiiiine, but only for Marzia."

Within an hour, Jack was being picked up by Marzia and Felix to go out shopping. They wound up at some trendy looking place that Jack had never even paid attention to, walking in he felt immediately overwhelmed. There were racks along the wall of about twenty different colors of black jeans. He didn't even know there were twenty different shades of black.

Marzia flipped through the racks of shirts picking out three or four different ones before she headed over to Jack staring at the pants hanging before him.

"How do you even begin to decide what would look good?" jack received an arm load of clothes and ushered to the dressing room. Soon it was settled that he was getting, of course, the black skinny jeans along with a tight dark grey long sleeve shirt and a fitted black soft leather jack that fit rather snug but not uncomfortable. The outfit was simple, just his style but considerably more fitted and showed off his slender but rather curvy body than he was used to. 

"Don't worry sweetie, you look fantastic. You are going to knock his socks off." Marzia clapped her hands together and grinned at her selection.

The three made their way back to the house, Felix had an idea of his own to give Jack an upper hand on the so called date. He pulled out his laptop and plugged into the search bar 'Mark Fishbach past relationships' with a large grin on his face. Felix scrolled through a few sites while mumbling to himself searching for something Jack couldn't quite figure out.

"The fuck are you doing Felix, stalking the guy?"

"Exactly! Now, says here that your bae most recently dated a girl named Maxine Simms for just over a year. She's a local singer, 27 years old and lived with him until a few months ago when they broke up for "differences". Doesn't really give any information outside of that." Felix kept scrolling through sites looking fore something particular but not really finding it.

Jack's curiosity was peaked, just a bit. "Soooo...does this Maxine have a picture?" He leaned over his friend's shoulder rather surprised by what he saw. "I know her, she was the singer at the auction...ya know, the one bidding against me"

"Oh shit, so are they like... are they still talking or something. Jack, you're gonna have to get your man under control." 

"Felix, seriously. I mean look at her, she's beautiful... hell, if I dated women I'd totally go after her." Jack stared at a picture of Mark and Max from an event just a month before they broke up. The two were at some beach resort, he was wearing a thin white button down shirt, red hair blowing in the sea breeze. She was wearing a light teal flowing dress, gaudy jewelry that was way too heavy for a beach setting, dark black curly hair down to her shoulders and light brown skin that seemed to shimmer in the sunlight. 

"They seemed happy, wonder what happened?" Felix shrugged as he scrolled on to see a thin blond then a curvy red head all linked to Mark as well. "Shit, well I'm not finding the sausage party I was looking for here. It's not looking so good man."

Jack smacked his friend on the shoulder, "Dude, you were looking for boyfriends? I told you he is straight, there's zero chance here."

By the time the Irishman left he felt defeated, for some reason he couldn't get the image of the red head hugging him, sweaty from the lights, from his head. He sighed knowing he was being unreasonable and tried to shake the pins and needles he got from the simple thought, he even considered canceling and just letting it be a simple donation instead of a day spent with the other man. By time Jack arrived home, he was exhausted so he threw his keys and bags of clothes on the counter, trudged up the stair and crashed for the night.

Next thing Jack knew, the sun was shining through the blinds, Friday morning had arrived. He felt a nervous sensation hit his stomach but he knew at this point it was too late to cancel with Mark. 

'bing' 

Jack's cell phone sounded, he quickly retrieved it to see Mark had texted over the address, "Must be the shelter, wonder if I can fake sick or something..." he said out loud to himself.

'bing' 

Another text came through with yet another address, this one to a restaurant.

Feeling less than enthused, he got out of bed to ready for the day. The two men were supposed to meet around noon for lunch before the tour, he could only hope they guy had a decent personality so he wasn't bored all day. Worst case scenario, he'd eat lunch, play with some dogs and cats then call it a day.

Pulling up to the restaurant, Jack felt terribly under dressed. The valet took his car as he walked in to be promptly greeted at the hostess stand. 

"Welcome Mr. Mcloughlin, right this way please" The hostess lead him through the sorted tables all donning white linens and candles. 

He was met at the table by Mark who was already there and had ordered them both drinks, the same as they had at the charity event. Had he been paying more attention than Jack thought?

Standing and sticking out his hand for a friendly shake Mark smiled and greeted Jack, "Hey Jack, so glad to see you, please, please have a seat." He was wearing a pink dress shirt, maroon tie and grey slacks, definitely dressed a lot smarter than Jack in his tight jacket and jeans.

The two men made small talk for a bit before Jack started to shift uncomfortably in his seat while waiting for their lunch. Mark had taken notice, "Is...is there something wrong?"

Jack's eyes widened from the question, he didn't want to sound ungrateful, "No, this is just not really my scene and I feel terribly under dressed"

"I'm so fucking glad you said something, I was just trying to impress you with this fancy scmancy place. I mean hell, the only time I met you, you were wearing a tux so I had no idea where to go with that...wanna get out of here?" Mark reached up and loosened his tie while waiving over the waiter. He got their meals to go, "I have an idea..." with that, Mark grabbed his hand and lead his from the restaurant to his car parked close out back.

They both got in the car, Jack in the passenger seat and Mark....in the back seat? He was digging through a back pack in the back pulling out some sweats and a t-shirt, "You don't mind do you?" He held up the shirt hinting he wanted to change.

"Knock yourself out" Jack shook his head assuming he was going back inside to the bathroom, that was definitely not the case as Mark started stripping down to his boxers in the back seat.

Jack glanced out of the side of his eyes nervously as more and more skin was showing, it was everything in him not to turn and enjoy the show. 'Don't be a creep, don't be a creep, don't be a creep' he kept repeating to himself in his head as Mark finally pulled on his shirt, getting out of the back and taking his place in the driver's seat.

"I feel so much better, stuffy places like that really get to me but damn, the food is so good." He started the car and headed out of the parking lot. After a bit he pulled into a small park with a lonely picnic table sitting under a flowering pink trumpet tree, it was rather breath taking.

Jack stepped out of the car, "Holy shit man, this is gorgeous"

Mark looked over to him and smiled as he pulled their meals from the back seat along with a thin blanket and heading to the table, Jack followed closely. If he didn't know better, he could swear this feels like a date....but he knew better.

He spread out the blanket on the top of the table, digging out the to go containers and plastic silverware and a couple bottles of water then gestured for Jack to have a seat, "Lunch is served" he said with a crooked smile.

Jack smiled back, "Now this is more my style"

"Huh, me too"

The men sat and had a lovely conversation over lunch, they talked about their families, growing up, video games, movies... everything. Jack had to keep catching himself from batting his eyes or trying to touch the other man's hand, ya know, since it's not a date. Fuck, this man is seemingly perfect boyfriend material and so easy on the eyes.

"We should hang out after this, we seem to have practically everything in common plus I need a new gaming buddy." The red head started cleaning up the table after they finished.

"Yeah, sounds good. So, what's next?"

"Well, would you like to see one of my shelters?"

"Of course, lead the way." They headed back to the car and to the shelter which was surprisingly close by. Mark seemed to get excited as they pulled up, he had a huge grin on his face...almost like a kid on Christmas morning.

They pulled up in the lot and headed inside, Mark held the door for him. 

"Hey Molly, I wanted to introduce you to someone, this is Ja...."

"OH MY GOD....Sean Mcloughlin? What on earth are you doing here...no, I mean, it's a pleasure to meet you." Molly all but bounded over the counter at the small Irishman as Mark stood in surprised confusion.

"Ummm, you two know each other?" Mark looked back and forth between them.

Jack shook Molly's hand grinning from ear to ear, he got recognized every once in a while but what were the chances someone here would know him.

No, well yes, I know him but....Sean is a highly regarded architect... an artist really." 

Mark's brows raised as he looked at Jack in confusion, almost as if the man had been hiding something from him. "So, wait... Sean Mcloughlin. Is this the guy that's working on Wade's place. Are you working on a building for a law firm?"

Molly and Jack agreed in unison that he was the very same person he was referring to. "Huh, small world. Wade and Bob are both friends of mine and they just go on and on about your work...I'm impressed." Mark patted him on the back as he felt his phone buzz in his pocket. "Excuse me a second"

The call came in, Wade was frantic because there was a flood emergency at one of their shelters just south of Santa Barbara threatening it with mud slides. "Fuck, alright, I'll be on the road soon."

He turned to Jack, "Hey, feel like going on a road trip, I could use the extra hands?"


	6. Floods

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mark and Jack find their way into the flood area to rescue the doggies.

Mark really didn't want to cut his and Jack's day short so when the emergency from his shelter in Santa Barbara was called in he made the snap decision to ask the green haired man to come with him. Something about Jack just drew him in, he figured it was just an awesome bromance blooming. He's had experiences like this before where the friendship would just immediately click, just like when he met Wade and Bob- but this time it felt... more intense? Almost like he wanted to take the guy home, play games, chat and eat pizza until the sun came up.

"I mean... if you don't feel like coming with me, you really don't have to. We could always reschedule but I thought maybe you'd like the full on rescue experience." Mark started to pack a few quick things into a bag, extra leashes, treats and a med kit- just in case because he didn't know exactly what he would be walking into with the floods and possible mud slides.

"No, man, I'd be more than happy to help out. I can see what you do first hand." Jack really wanted to see Mark in action, especially since he seemed to immediately go into action and just oozed intensity and passion- he really wanted more.

"Well then here," Mark threw a blue hoodie at Jack, "I'd hate to see you ruin your nice leather jacket, things might get a bit messy." He winked as he passed in front of Jack only pausing for a brief moment to run his hand down the smaller man's arm feeling the softness of his jacket. "We need to get there quick, are you ready?"

"You think my car's going to be ok, it's still at the restaurant?"

"Meh, I'll have someone bring it to my place, it's cool." Mark grabbed his bag and Jack's arm and headed out in a rush. He wasn't sure why he felt the need to keep touching Jack, it's like Chica, he felt that same almost clingy feeling and didn't want the Irishman to run away.

The ride there takes about ninety minutes so the men decided to pass it shooting random questions at each other. Jack sipped at his coffee mulling over Mark's first question.

"I'll start out easy, what's your favorite color?"

"Probably red"

"Funny, mine's green, guess our hair matches or likes." Mark shoots a smile over to Jack gesturing at their dyed hair.

"Easy question... boxers or briefs?" Jack laughed at his own question signaling it was a joke as Mark joined in.

"Why not enjoy the best of both worlds, I like boxer-briefs myself."

Mark continued the questions "What would you do if you weren't an architect?"

"I'm totally in love with video games and the whole emersion of it, I would probably do something along the lines of sound design."

Mark gives him a side glance and a crooked smile, "Mine would probably have to do with video games too, I like the point of creation so maybe, ya know, like storyboarding or something along those lines. Hell, maybe even testing videogames would be awesome."

"Alright, my turn. What's your ideal date?" Jack asked hoping it wasn't too personal.

"I guess, taking my dog Chica to the park with us, having a little picnic and just talking and getting to know each other. I'm more relaxed then some people make me out to be, honestly I take enjoyment from life's simple pleasures. Alright then... What was your most recent relationship like" The red head man asked as Jack thought to himself 'alright, we're doing this'.

He chuckled at confession time and started in, tip toeing around some major details. "Well, we were together for about six months and unfortunately towards the end, we fought most of the time. I guess we just wanted different thing..." Jack sighed thinking of his ex and how much, deep down, he really didn't want to be alone any more.

"Hey, it's ok if you don't want to talk about it. I won't force you- I know my last relationship wasn't a walk in the park. She seemed to like living a different lifestyle than me and at my expense."

No, it's not that I don't want to talk about it, there's just so much more to it... Mark, I'm g...."

Mark held up his hand for a moment "Hold that thought" just up the way was a road block, Mark pulled up to talk to the officer.

"Sorry son, no through traffic. With the floods just ahead, we can't let you risk it."

"But I have a shelter full of animals that need help, what am I supposed to do?"

"Leave me the info and we'll get to them as soon as we can."

Mark was visibly frustrated and worried, "That's alright," he shifted nervously in his seat, "I'll call my friend that lives near there to help out, thanks"

He turned his car around and headed down a side street. "Shit, shit, shit... We have to get there Jack..." Mark parked his car and sat to think for a moment, he raised his brows and looked over to Jack.

"So, ya know the hoodie I gave you? Do you think that would fit under your shirt for a few moments?"

Jack looked at Mark in confusion as the red head grabbed the hoodie, lifted Jack's shirt and shoved it underneath. He proceeded to find another way into town. "What the hell are you doing Mark?"

"Ok, there's another road block...can you fake labor?"

"The fuck?" Jack's eyes widened in confusion and shock.

"There's a hospital right next door to the kennel, if you look like you're in labor then they may let us pass." 

The Irishman let out a huff, "What if it doesn't work and they don't believe us or better yet, want to cut the 'baby' out right here on the side of the road? It happens, haven't you ever seen Cops?" he said in a panic.

"Just trust me, let me take care of it, you just focus on your breathing. Alright sweetheart" Mark said with a hint of sarcasm and a wink. He started to drive up to the road block hoping those improv classes worked out.

The officer held out her hand signaling for the car to stop, Mark rolled down his window in a visible panic. "We have to get through, my boyfriend is about to have our baby...please the hospital is just up the street. It's an emergency!"

She looked over to Jack in the passenger seat breathing in lamaze style breaths, holding onto his 'belly' with his feet propped up on the dashboard. "GET ME TO THE HOSPITAL AND GET THIS THING OUT OF ME RIGHT NOW OR SO HELP ME I WILL RIP YOUR BALLS OFF"

"Holy shit, please let us go, I really don't feel like loosing my balls today officer." It was everything in him not to bust out laughing.

She glanced around feeling their panic, "Alright, alright, just stay to the right and be careful. Oh, and congrats you two."

"Thank you so much" Mark rolled up the window to keep the down pour out and made his way past the barricades. Once the two were out of sight of the officer, they lost it. Mark hadn't laughed that hard in a long time as he looked over to Jack who was wiping away a few tears from laughter.

"Oh Jaysus, I can't believe you just made me do that!"

"I know, but you were amazing... man you sure you haven't done that before?"

"What? Have a baby...no, I'm pretty sure I'd remember that." Jack said still giggling.

They drove slowly through the town in silence for a few moments taking in the damage from the current floods and impending mud slides.

Mark chimed up rather quietly, "You're about my age, have you ever thought about having kids...ya know if you find the right girl someday?"

Jack sighed and thought about it for a moment, "Yes and no, yes to the eventual family but no to the right girl...Mark, I'm gay so it's more like finding the right guy."

Slowly nodding, Mark thought about his response. "Oh, well then I'm sorry I assumed and misspoke." He seemed somewhat uncomfortable after that.

"It's not a problem is it, I mean, I'm still the same person I just happen to like dudes."

"No, oh god no it's fine...I just didn't have you pegged as gay I guess, but seriously it's fine...it's great...we're still cool."

Jack remained quiet as they pulled up to the shelter, which was standing in a few inches of water. Mark assessed the building "Looks like we may be ok but I still want to check things out inside then get the animals to the second floor to dry off." He paused for a moment, "sorry but it looks like we're going to get a bit wet."

The two headed in to find the back door broken open and two of the cages open, "Shit, looks like the tree fell into the back door and busted it open. We may have a few escapees to look for. Let's get everyone upstairs and I'll do a head count."

The shelter currently housed six dogs and eight cats, the cats were housed in a free range room upstairs free from the dangers of the flood water but the dogs on the other hand weren't so lucky. Mark broke down at the sight of the dogs standing on their beds or down in several inches of water barking to be rescued yet again. Jack rubbed his hand back and forth across his back as he crossed in front of Mark to liberate the first small dog from it's cage.

"Grab some towels or blankets or something and I'll take this little guy upstairs" Jack said as he scooped the small terrier up. Just as he said that lightning struck, the power went out and the sound of the rain became deafening.

"We need to hurry, there are two out there that we need to find before it's too late." The two worked together getting the four dogs upstairs and in travel cages for the time being before heading out on foot to look for the two missing dogs.

They waded through the calf high water calling for the dogs, whistling and making kissy noises pausing occasionally to see if there were any barks heard in response. The two men made their way to the wooded area when they both heard it, a deep bark that sounded distressed. Mark didn't even hesitate before he took off running towards a house settled amongst several trees and bushes. The barking continued as he rounded the house to a back patio area, he listened and quickly realize the barking was coming from under the porch. Luckily the porch was on higher ground but it was still muddy and way too tight of a space for Mark to fit. Eyeing Jack he realized the smaller man could potentially fit under the porch to retrieve the dog.

"You sure you're up to this, it's pretty messy under there."

"Come on man, the poor doggo sounds upset, we need to get to him." Jack lowered to the ground with a flashlight and leash, shimmying his way under the tight space. Mark paced, waiting for Jack to give any sign as to what was happening. After a few moments of disappearing under the porch, he crawled his way back out clutching on to a leash, attached to the other end was a tuft of black fur and big brown eyes staring back at Mark almost in terror. The mutt let out a whimper as she was passed over to Mark so Jack could make his way the rest of the way out.

"Oh you poor beautiful girl, you're safe now." He hugged the dog wrapping it in a small blanket and heading back to the shelter.

"There's still one out there but it's getting so dark" Jack said as he looked up to the sky, he was now covered in mud.

They dropped the black dog off and headed out once more for the other one, "Mark, what are we looking for, big dog, small dog, black, white, brown....."

Mark smiled at Jack's enthusiasm as they rounded to the back of the shelter, "He's a small reddish brown dog...he could be anywhere by now...he's a runner." Just then Mark caught a glimps of water splashing around and a distressed whining. He took off in a sprint towards the dog who surprisingly didn't get far due to his short legs. Mark happily scooped up the small dog and headed back.

"That was too easy!" Jack laughed at the dog who was still paddling it's front paws trying to swim over the flood waters as it was being carried back.

"Let's get these guys settled for the night. Unfortunately I don't think we'll be going anywhere tonight, the water's gotten worse."

Looks like a muddy and soaking wet Jack was going to have to spend the night with an equally soaking wet Mark in the shelter with the dogs and cats. Without changes of clothes, the men took turns in the bathroom stripping down and wrapping up in blankets heading back to the upstairs office where they would spend the night. Jack went first as Mark stayed, searching for candles to light the room, he found some deodorizing pet candles in the small shop, brought them upstairs and lit them around the room.

Jack came out with the blanket wrapped around his shoulders but still shivering, Mark couldn't help but laugh at how adorable the small man looked. Mark patted Jack on his shoulder as he passed to take his turn stripping in the bathroom. Once Mark finished, he came out carrying his blanket with just a towel wrapped around his waist, Jack's mouth went dry from the vision in front of him.

"Glad to see you made yourself at home, sorry we got stuck in this mess." Mark eyed Jack who was sitting on the floor, wrapped in a blanket with a small black terrier wrapped in the blanket with him.

"I don't mind, just glad these guys are safe" The two sat face to face in the candlelit room assessing the situation they were currently stuck in...things could definitely be worse.


	7. Snuggling the Doggos

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After the rescue, Mark and Jack snuggle with some dogs and spend time together.

The rain kept pounding on the roof of the kennel, power still out, now dark out as the two men sat in the candle lit room both snuggling dogs on their laps.

"So what's this pretty girl's name...wait, you're a girl right?" He lifted the small dog, "Yup, definitely a girl."

Mark shook his head, "That's Lucy, she is, I believe, a wiener dog and terrier mix. She came to us after getting hit by a car, luckily it wasn't too bad, she had a broken front leg but it's healed nicely."

"Well, I love her crazy hair, it's wild... kinda like mine." Jack said as he snuggled his nose into her neck.

"Yeah, she's a sweetheart... a wire hair, that's why her hair is all crazy like that. I think it makes her even more adorable." He said staring more at Jack than at Lucy. Mark felt pretty confused as he stared at Jack, not really sure how he was feeling. All he knew was he was glad to be in this very moment... it's almost like a scene from a movie, except his leading lady was a thin green haired Irishman?

Mark scratched behind the ear of a deep black mutt sitting on his lap as he thought about what he wanted to say next. The conversation he had in the car with Jack earlier didn't exactly go the way he wanted, admittedly he was taken a bit off guard when Jack admitted he was gay... not that it really changed his opinion on his new found friend.

"Hey Jack, listen, about earlier... I didn't mean anything against you, I know I acted surprised when you said you were gay. I just...how do I put this without sounding like a total ass..."

"Just come out with it, it's ok."

"My family never really agreed with the whole idea of people of the same sex being together. I've never had a problem with it, actually I had repressed feelings for this guy in high school but with my family... I just never really, ya know." Mark twirled the dog's long ear between his fingers rather thankful for the warm, furry distraction.

"Ya getting pretty deep there on me Mark, especially only knowing me a day" he smiled over to the older man. "No worries, not everyone agrees with it. I know that. I'm just glad it didn't scare you away from wanting to be friends."

"You really were amazing out there today, I don't know what I'd do if you weren't here to pull Hazel here out from under that patio." he pat the dog's side. "then faking being in labor, I've never seen something so funny in all my life."

"Hazel huh? I see where you get that, her eyes, right?"

"Yeah, she's one of my favorites. If I didn't already have Chica then I'd adopt her in a heartbeat. She was given up by her owner, they got too old to properly care for her so she came to us."

"Maybe Chica needs a sister"

"Yeah, maybe" Mark smiled petting the dog and throwing his blanket over her. He stood to grab a couple more blankets from the storage closet throwing two on the ground and wrapping up in the other. "Sorry our first night hanging out had to be naked by the candlelight" he dropped the towel he was wearing from beneath the blanket that now donned his body.

"Hey, I've had way worse first dates than this." He laughed at his own joke before pausing, "Not saying this is a date or anything...I know it's not, I was just joking and it came out wrong... I just...oh god." Jack groaned as he slapped his hand across his face."

"I get it, don't worry" Mark laughed at Jack's joke then again at his feeble attempt to back track what he had said. "If I were gay, this would be an amazing first date".

"Heh, yea..." Jack trailed off as his stomach grumbled loudly. "Oh shit, sorry. I'm starving."

"Me too, hey...I know where the keys to the vending machine are, wanna raid it with me."

"Lead the way" Jack stood up grinning and clutching onto his blanket.

Mark led them into the office, digging through the drawers by the light of his cell phone, he came across a half bottle of whiskey, "Ooooh, this could come in handy" then finally the keys, "Jackpot! Now let's see what's for dinner"

The vending machine contained the typical array of chips and candy bars, they settled on a few bags of chips and sweets. Heading back to their candle lit area to the awaiting dogs, Mark spread out the two extra blankets next to each other as makeshift beds. They sat to eat as the dogs settled back at their side, Lucy by Jack and Hazel by Mark, "Sorry about dinner tonight, I always thought when I was a kid that I'd eat chips and cereal for dinner every night as an adult simply because I could. Funny, I don't do that as much as I thought I would." Mark sat opting for a bag of cool ranch Doritos.

"I know what you mean, mine was popcorn and sweets." Jack smiled as he opened a bag of white cheddar popcorn." They each held up a piece, "Cheers". 

Several fatty items and half a bottle of whiskey later, the men were laying back on their blankets as the candles were burning out. They chatted away about some of their favorite games, Jack spoke passionately about one of his favorite games The Last Guardian, specifically about the large cat-bird creature. He gushed over how attached he got during the game and how adorable the creature was. 

"So why don't you have a pet, you're so good with them and look at Lucy there, she looks made to be on your lap." Mark laid on his side propping himself up on his elbow. 

Jack sat next to him with his legs crossed, Lucy curled in a tiny ball in the middle of them, "I really wish I could but I just have to travel so much that it just wouldn't be fair to them."

Mark nodded, "I can respect that, guess you'll just have to come and visit to get your fix then." he took one more large swig of the whiskey before passing the bottle back to Jack who graciously accepted.

The two sat in silence for a few moments before Mark sat back up, his blanket shifting and showing off a bit more than he meant to, Jack caught himself letting his sights drift up the tanned man's thigh before his sight was obscured by the blanket being readjusted. He looked up at Mark who was staring at him staring at his thigh.

"Sorry, sorry, I was just..."

Mark smirked, tilting his head and still staring at Jack's expression. "Interesting"

"What" Jack nervously questioned.

"Just the way you were looking at me"

"H-how was that?"

"Like you wanted to see more" Mark straightened his leg back out, letting the blanket fall from his leg again.

"I think the whiskey has gone to your head, I'm just tired so I was just sort of in a daze. Don't flatter yourself man." Trying to brush his embarrassment off, the Irishman turned his gaze.

Getting up on his knees, Mark scooted closer to Jack seeming to test the waters. "So, If I happened to drop my blanket, you wouldn't try to look at all?" He said halfway letting go of the material draped over his body.

"Mark?"

"Yeah"

"How much have you had to drink"

...

"Mark, I think it may be time to go to bed for the night" Jack moved Lucy next to him as he laid down on the makeshift bed.

Looking down at Jack, Mark sighed as he stood up. "Be right back, I've gotta use the bathroom"

Jack could do nothing but lay there with his mouth open, he stared at Mark walk away then back down to Mark's blanket that now laid on the floor.


	8. Take Me Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The floods receded and the two men were able to head home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry I'm not as prompt with this chapter as usual, I'm going through some pretty rough emotions so it's hard for me to write right now. I'll bounce back soon!

Jack woke up the next morning with a stiff neck and confused conscious, had Mark really strutted around in all his glory in front of him last night? He peeked his eyes open to see the other man passed out on the blanket next to him using a fluffy black dog as a pillow, Yup there was no denying what he witnessed last night. Mark started to shift in his sleep, burying his face in Hazel's furry side and luckily keeping his blanket in place this time.

As Mark slowly stirred, he considered what he was going to mention and not mention to Mark about last night. Now, it was obvious that Mark was some what coming on to him while completely naked but Mark was also pretty drunk so how much would he remember. Wait... Mark said he wasn't gay but with last night's events... 

"Morning Jack, sleep well?"

Jack was shocked out of his thoughts, "Yeah, ok, no not really but considering it wasn't too bad. Bet the dogs want to go out about now." Jack got up tightly clinging to his blanket and covering probably much more than necessary.

"Yeah, probably should check downstairs and see if their outdoor area cleared up any." Mark covered up keeping what dignity he thought he had left...did he really not remember walking around naked last night? He headed downstairs to be pleasantly surprised by a great lack of standing water. "Hey, it's clear down here if you just want to pop the cages open."

With Lucy in hand, Jack headed to the other cages holding the rescues and let them free to run downstairs to Mark waiting by the back door. The dogs were allowed to run free in the fenced in area as Mark assessed the damage and called in the employees.

Wrapping things up at the Santa Barbara shelter, Mark, Jack and Hazel all decided to head back to LA, "I think I've kept you hostage long enough, you're car should be at my house if you wanted to head home. The invitation to stay and play games is out there by the way."

"I wouldn't mind going home, cleaning up and changing out of these dirty clothes so maybe we could get an actual dinner this evening."

"Yeah...that or, my shower is in fine working condition and you could maybe just borrow my house coat while I wash your clothes." Mark fidgeted in the drivers seat in nervous anticipation as they headed down the highway to Mark's place. For some reason Mark just wanted to wrap his arms around the Irishman, sit on his couch and just snuggle the rest of the day away. He shook the thought off quickly reminding himself of all of the beautiful women he'd dated in the past, being in an intimate situation with a man, now that's uncharted territory for him.

"Can't get enough of me can ya Marky" Jack razzed Mark but the red head stayed pretty serious.

"Honestly, no...I really enjoy having you around. Listen, I don't know if I remember things correctly from last night but if I did anything to make you uncomfortable around me... please let me know."

"Well, I'm definitely not offended by a nice ass if that's what you're referring to" the green haired man laughed trying to lighten the mood, Mark just groaned out in embarrassment.

"I seriously flashed you my junk didn't I...shit, I'm so sorry. Usually people don't get to see me naked until the third date." He tried to play it off as a joke but it wasn't too far off from the truth. His friends sometimes had to put up with random naked moments from Mark as he walked around to get ready for the day or fresh out of the shower. He was just comfortable with his friends and body, it wasn't a sexual thing in his mind. Jack, on the other hand was unprepared for that so he just tried to chuckle and take it as a joke.

It didn't take long for the pair to get to Mark's house, especially since the weather was behaving. They made their way up the long drive, as Jack got out he was a bit taken back by the size of the house. It seemed so big for someone who lived alone.

Jack stared at the beauty of the Spanish style stucco house done in white with a charcoal colored roof, graced with a rather stylized set of greenery made up of short palms, birds of paradise and various other tropical flowering bushes. The front entrance was arched with a grand entrance and huge windows that even impressed the architect.

Mark flashed him a smile, "My mom convinced me to buy it" he gestured towards the house, "She wanted plenty of room for when she visits. Come on in, make yourself at home and I'll get ya something to change into." As he opened the door, he unhooked Hazel from her leash, she ran directly to Chica, bouncing around in excitement.

"Oh, this is the love of my life, Chica." He picked her up with her belly up and legs flailing in the air as he brought her over to Jack.

Jack shook her paw and rubbed her belly, "Pleased to meet you"

Mark ran upstairs and left Jack with the two dogs downstairs, after wandering for a moment enjoying the aesthetics of the house, Mark came bouncing down the stairs with a housecoat...not just any housecoat but a short leopard print one that will make it hard to keep his privates, well...private. Mark chuckled as he handed it over to the Irishman "The bathroom is upstairs, second door to the left, everything you should need is in there so just help yourself to a shower, bubble bath, whatever. Maybe we can meet back here and play some games while your clothes dry."

"Thanks Mark, I appreciate the.... half a housecoat?" He laughed loudly, Mark enjoyed the echo of the smaller man's laugh through the home as he shot him a warm smile. "Seriously, sounds good-just be prepared to get your ass handed to you."

"You're on man."


	9. You Know You Wanna

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things get a little interesting as they test the waters, Smut Warning.

As promised, Mark had the game all set up when Jack returned from his shower. He felt a little self concious about the housecoat that was provided to him but he sported it like a champ as he came down stairs. Mark called to him from a room near the back of the house, it was obviously a room set aside just for gaming. The room had sound proof deep red walls, four computer stations and a dark grey sectional couch set up in front of a seventy inch screen that was seemingly able to broadcast any gaming system you can imagine.

Jack was quite impressed with the setup, seemingly forgetting about the lack of material covering his body, as he made rounds checking out the PC gaming stations. He passed one by one noticing how they were all four themed different colors highlighted with LED's in red, green, blue and purple. The setup was impressive and he almost forgot that Mark was there, that was until he looked over to Mark who was sitting on the couch with his mouth slightly hanging open like he was totally speechless.

"Nice setup ya got here" Jack said as he ran his fingers across the green highlighted keyboard.

"You too" The words were so quiet that Jack almost didn't catch them- but he did. He shot the red head a surprised look as he circled around the couch to take a seat next to Mark.

The game was playing in the background, Mark handed over the player two remote, Jack graciously took it...or tried to. Mark held on to the remote letting Jack tug it twice before letting go with a smirk. "Your ass is mine Mcloughlin"

"Well it is hanging out in plain view with this robe" Jack laughed as he shook his head and selected his character. 

"Then it'll be nice and easy to get to, now let's play."

The two men sat side by side, bumping shoulders, yelling profanities and promising ass kicking's as their karts raced around the track- Mark coming up victorious more often than Jack.

"You want a drink?" Mark said still maintaining his lead in the current match.

"Ummm, sure. Do you have like Sprite or something?"

Oh...yeah, in the fridge. Why don't you grab a couple and I'll set up another game."

Jack got up to head to the kitchen, crossing in between Mark and the coffee table they were resting their feet on. As he passed, Mark caught him by the waist and stopped Jack right in front of him. He wrapped his fingers around Jack's hips staring directly at his midsection hidden behind the soft material of the robe. Mark let out a slow steady breath as Jack stood between his legs, closer than they usually stood, staring down at the seated red head.

"Mark?" Jack said quietly questioning the intentions of Mark's touch. Not that he minded too much as Mark ran his hands slowly up and down his sides then landing on the belt to the robe. He looked up at Jack quickly then back down to the belt, Mark slowly undid the knot, leading the Irishman closer to him by pulling on the belt. He took a deep breath and moved the robe to the side placing his hands inside on Jack's bare hips.

"Mark, I know you said you were straight but you're sending all kinds of mixed signals here." Jack was shaky under Mark's unconfident touch so he tried to remain as still as possible letting Mark figure out what he was looking for.

"I know... I did say that," Mark looked up at Jack, "I... Jack I, can I try something?" He stood up from the couch to meet Jack's eye level. 

"Well, that depends. What exactly did you have in mind?" Jack said leaning forward whispering against Mark's lips, his eyes kept flicking between the red head's eyes and lips.

Mark's breathing sped up as he rested his hand gently on Jack's face, he slowly pulled the Irishman to him, placing a soft kiss on his lips only lingering for seconds. Jack's lips were slightly chapped but soft none the less, his facial hair tickled just a bit against Mark's lips but he didn't seem to mind much. His breath was warm, touch cold but gentle- Mark actually wanted more. He connected their lips again, this time a bit more firm and confident.

The red head broke the kiss backing up just slightly to look into Jack's awaiting eyes, "You're so beautiful Jack... I want to... Jack, I really do want this but..."

Jack sighed knowing what was coming next, "But I have a dick...right?" he huffed and shook his head.

"I'm sorry...I can't explain it...I just.. damn it." Mark aggressively pulled Jack back to him and kissed him again with all the repressed passion he could muster. Jack tried pushing away for a brief moment before he melted into the kiss.

They both wanted this, unfortunately Mark's head and body wouldn't agree as he pulled back again more angry with himself for his indecisiveness. He pulled the robe off Jack's shoulders and let it fall to the ground, stressing over the inner turmoil fighting between his head and heart as he ran his hands down Jack's arms and back up his chest.

Jack noticed his indifference and pulled back. "Mark, no...no. You have some things going on in here that you need to work out." He tapped Mark's temple referring to whatever was going on in his mind that had him questioning if this was right or not.

The room was so quiet outside of the music from the main menu of the game that was abandoned for Mark's internal exploration. The pair studied each other's faces from a close proximity before Mark drew the smaller man in to a warm, strong embrace.

The pair stayed like that for a moment before Jack spoke, "As much as I really am enjoying this it's freezing in here and I'm very much naked."

Mark backed up a bit apologizing and bending down to retrieve the housecoat. As he stooped down in front of Jack to grab the soft fabric that laid at their feet, he paused, staring at his stomach before he timidly leaned forward and placed a few kisses to the man's midsection. Jack stood as still as possible letting Mark explore for a moment, he let out a shuddered breath from the soft sweet feeling of Mark's warm lips.

After placing a few kisses he grabbed the robe, sat on the couch and pulled the smaller man into his lap as he wrapped the material back around Jack's shoulders.

"Ya know... I may not really consider myself gay but there's something about you that just draws me in and leaves me wanting more and more. I don't know what to make of it but I do know you feel so good in my arms."

Jack sat with both of his legs to one side, resting his arms around Mark's neck, "I have no idea what it's like to struggle with the question, I've always just thought you should be happy no matter what sex the other person is but obviously you have an issue with me being a man. I'm not going to try to make up your mind for you, that's something you have to do for yourself. Just know that I am very much attracted to you and I can't deny there's something there. The next step is yours."

"This is all just a shock to me, I've never been attracted to a man in my life. I'm having trouble processing how I feel and if I can... ya know."

Jack raised his brows, "No, I don't think I do know..."

"I'm not sure if I can touch another man's junk, like sexually." His face turned every shade of red on the spectrum before groaning out of frustration.

"Mark..." Jack sighed and rolled his eyes not really believing his current position. "You won't know until you try so go on...touch it...you know ya wanna." He laughed out while shaking his hips.

Mark chuckled at Jack's actions, "Seriously Jack..."

"Touch my dick Mark"

"Jaaaack"

"Come on, he's waiting" Jack couldn't wipe the grin from his face as he teased Mark knowing he wouldn't do it. They were just playing around at this point...right?

Much to Jack's surprise Mark responded by grabbing his dick to which Jack took in a sharp breath just staring down at Mark's hand wrapped around his flacid cock. He looked back up to Mark with a questioning look on his face but said nothing as Mark slowly started to stoke him. Jack's eyes fluttered shut, he leaned his head back a bit to the touch and let out a soft groan. 

Taking notice of Jack's response to the touch, Mark tested the waters a bit more as he strengthened his grip and continued moving his hand up and down the Irishman's growing cock. He stared at Jack's face for his reactions, studying the man's lips as they were being abused by his teeth. 

Letting his eyes sweep over Jack's form, he noticed that the man only had a soft dusting of hair on his chest and stomach but other than that he was very slender and lightly toned. His body was almost feminine outside of a noticeably growing difference. He distracted himself by pulling Jack in for another kiss as Jack raised to his knees to straddle Mark's lap. Things were definitely getting heated.


	10. That Feeling in Your Gut

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry for the roller coaster that is this chapter, Smut warning although not too graphic and a trigger warning towards the end....sorry.

Mark let out an unsteady breath as he looked at the man straddling his lap considering his options. He still couldn't shake the emotions seesawing within him. On one hand he felt an undeniable attraction to the man that was both physical and emotional, on the other hand was the seemingly logical side of his thoughts that shouted that it wasn't right because Jack is a man. His family had raised and expected him to find a good girl, settle down, buy a house with a white picket fence and have a few kids...

His choice right now is whether he goes against his family and everything he's been told all his life or does he follow his heart and take a chance. He's either going to gain a boyfriend or ruin a new friendship.

Jack ran his hands up under Mark's shirt and swiveled his hips, Mark decided to take the chance as he wrapped his arm around the smaller man's back and flipped him around to lay on the couch. Jack gasped as he landed on his back with a soft thump and a giggle.

"You sure you're ok with this?" Jack asked Mark as he ran his thin fingers through the soft red lock that fell in the other man's face.

Mark didn't answer, what he did do was raise his shirt over his head, discard it to the side and lean down for a passionate kiss. Jack tried to buck his hips up to meet the man above him only to be held in place as Mark kissed him thoroughly. 

"Bed now" The words were mumbled as Mark stood, he took Jack's hand and led him to his bedroom. 

Jack stood in front of the bed, biting at his nails, watching Mark fumble around in a drawer for a small bottle of lube. Once Mark was successful in his venture, he grabbed Jack by the shoulders, turned him around and kissed and nibbled at the back of his neck. Jack relished in the feeling of the strong hands running along his abdomen and the warm breath on the crook of his neck as he leaned back against the man behind him.

Slowly pushing Jack to the bed onto his stomach, Mark enjoyed the sight of the small mans soft skin and supple ass raised slightly in the air as he removed the rest of his clothes before crawling on top of the figure in his bed. Jack loved how Mark paid special attention to his neck and shoulders leaving soft kisses and an occasional bite mark as well as running his hands along his hips and thighs. 

Mark couldn't deny that Jack felt amazing to him but he also couldn't deny a certain amount of guilt that came along with this. Yes, he made love to Jack but only with careful positioning and a little imagination. He still couldn't get past the fact that he had these feelings for a man but he wanted this so bad, he wanted Jack. The thought of having Jack in another position put a certain additional phallic object between them that Mark was more than uncomfortable with- but he couldn't exactly tell Jack that at the moment...

He couldn't help but wonder if he was using Jack to test the waters or even if he could get past his own insecurities and admit that he was currently balls deep in another man. Every time the thought crossed his mind, he ran his hand along Jack's surprisingly curvy and almost womanly hips and placed more kisses on the soft skin of his shoulders and back. 

One thing Mark really did enjoy was the fact that everytime Jack started to moan his name in pleasure, he could bite his neck a little harder and make Jack's voice raise a few octaves- almost like a womans...

Jack left the bed to get cleaned up as Mark returned back downstairs to let Chica and Hazel outside. He felt like a horrible person as he thought about what just happened between them but how the hell was he going to tell Jack that he had to picture him as a woman to get through it. How could he also explain to himself that what just happened was probably some of the best sex he'd ever experienced- especially on an emotional level. 

Mark stood in the backyard at the edge of the pool just staring at his reflection. He noticed another figure appear next to him then felt arms wrapped around his waist. The red head let out an audible sigh as he loosened the smaller man's grip to turn and go back inside. 

"You're clothes are probably dry by now if you want to get dressed. I know you said earlier that you had a busy week planned and honestly I do too." Actually, Mark's schedule was surprisingly light this week but he just didn't feel comfortable around Jack after what took place and this was the nicest way he could think of to ask him to leave right after sex.

"Oh... ok then. I thought maybe you'd like to..."

"Really Jack, I have lots to do." Mark turned to the kitchen to feed the dogs, Jack took the hint and went to retrieve his clothes with a rather conflicted emotion hanging over him.

Was Mark really kicking him out right after? Did he regret what just happened? Was this all just a game to him? Jack had so many questions now but no time to ask them as he was quickly ushered out with just a simple good bye. No promise to call, no hug or kiss. Jack didn't know what to feel so he quietly left and headed home to bury himself in his work.

It's been three weeks since the incident and no words were exchanged between the two men, as a matter of fact the only time Mark's name left Jack's lips was when Wade asked about them.

"So are you and Mark still talking? He told me about the rescue and the flood in Santa Barbara but outside of that he hasn't mentioned anything." Wade questioned as he sat in front of the contract for their Law firm building signing away.

"I ummm, no...we didn't really keep in touch after that. Guess we're both just too busy with work and things." Jack seemed to fidget as he spoke vaguely about the uncomfortable situation.

"Really. because Mark seems to have tons of time lately after he took a break from working at the shelter. Actually he's been seeing his ex Max quite a bit. I thought you two would have made the best of buddies as much as you guys have in common." Wade was surprised they didn't hang out but had no idea what the lack of communication was really about.

"He... he's seeing Max?" Jack tried to not sound too upset but he's not really sure if he succeeded at that.

"Yeah, personally I can't stand the woman but it's Mark's choice I guess. It really drives me nuts that she's trying to get him to return that dog he just adopted."

"Oh, I didn't know he got another dog." Jack said quietly as he started to sign his portion of the contract for the building he was designing.

"Yeah, Hazel I think her name is, Mark said it was the one you rescued from under the porch. Said that she deserved better than what he could give her but I think she likes being around Chica."

Jack felt a pain in the pit of his stomach with slight hopes that those words were somehow meant to comfort him. He still can't believe how hard and fast he fell for Mark just to be used and tossed aside. Jack could have sworn Mark felt the same way but it seems not... especially not after no calls or any type of communication for three weeks then to find out he's seeing his ex girlfriend again.

"You ok man, you don't look so good." Wade all of the sudden felt extremely concerned for Jack as his skin went even more pale than it already was. 

Jack let out a yelp as he felt that pain in the pit of his stomach again...then again. The pain intensified to the point of bringing tears to his eyes.

"Jack, do you need to go to the hospital or something?"

The only thing the small man could do was shake his head yes as the tears streamed down his cheeks from the pain he was experiencing. He started to panic not knowing what hit him, it was like his appendix exploded or something. Wade carried him to his car and rushed him to the hospital. 

Upon arriving, Jack was quickly ushered inside and taken to a back screening room, he could hardly breath. He was in pain, upset, frightened and totally confused as to where all this came from. The nurse did a quick scan of his abdominal area where the pain seemed to be coming from before informing him and Wade, who brought him, that he would need to go into surgery immediately. The nurse took Jack back with a promise to Wade to update him as soon as the smaller man was in the clear.

Wade took Jack's phone and called Felix to come up there as requested by the smaller man. Felix was terribly confused since he only had heard of Wade through Jack's work on his building design. Once there, the two men sat quietly and rather awkwardly in the waiting room until they were called back to a small conference room.

The doctor spoke in a very monotone voice, "Are you two friends or family or partner of Mr. Mcloughlin's?"

Felix was the first to chime in, "We're both friends of his, is he going to be alright. I'm worried sick here."

"Yes, your friend should be fine after a few days. He's going to need time to recover and friends for support, having a miscarriage is not an easy thing emotionally or physically- especially for a male."

The two gasped and Felix covered his mouth with his hands as tears formed in his eyes. "A... a miscarriage? Like he was pregnant? Jesus, I didn't even know he was seeing someone."

Wade shook his head, "Oh that poor guy, I had no idea."

The doctor continued, "He'll need to stay with someone who can help care for him the next few days. With male pregnancy, everything has to be done surgically so he's going to have a wound to tend to and like I said, it's terrible taxing on his body."

"Yeah, of course, he's going to stay with me" Felix said with a shaky voice. "When can we see him"

"You can follow me back now, he's in the recovery room."


	11. Recovery and Discovery

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is another rough one, it had to get worse before the healing could start.

Wade and Felix timidly walked in the room where Jack was resting, they almost didn't dare take a breath when they saw him. Jack was hooked up to an IV for fluids, heart monitors as well as a blood pressure monitor, he looked like he was sleeping peacefully instead of still under slight sedation from the incident.

Felix was the first to Jack's side, he slipped his hand around the smaller man's and stared at him with tears in his eyes. He whispered, "Jack, I'm here for you buddy."

Pulling up two chairs, Wade decided to wait with Felix for Jack to wake up, in the meantime, a nurse entered the room to check on his progress.

"He should be waking at any moment and I'm sure he'll be glad to have friends around. Take it easy on him, he didn't even know he was pregnant." The soft spoken nurse moved quickly and quietly tending to the monitors and giving Jack a shot to the abdomen before leaving again.

No more than two or three minutes later, Jack started to wake with a groan which made Felix grip his hand even tighter. His eyes fluttered open but he remained still staring at the ceiling feeling empty and broken.

"Jack? Buddy... you awake? Can I get you some water or anything?" Felix rubbed the back of Jack's hand trying to be as comforting as possible.

Jack didn't respond at first as his gaze never left the ceiling, finally he let reality sink in. He pulled his hand away from Felix to cover his face as he sobbed into them, there was no amount of comforting right now that would help only release.

The two men sat in silence to allow Jack to let it all out before talking to him, "Do you need us to call someone?" Wade asked as he handed Jack back his phone.

Raising the hospital bed to a bit more of a sitting position, Jack raised his now red and dull grey eyes to Wade. "No, I think it's something I need to call about myself. Would you guys mind giving me a few minutes to make a call?"

Once he was alone, he dialed the number and waited for an answer while mustering up as much strength as possible, finally he answered, "Hello?" Jack almost melted at the deep voice on the other line before he spoke up.

"H-hey Mark, it's Jack Mcloughlin...remember me?" His voice lacked all confidence he once had, he knew he had to tell Mark about what happened. Even though the two were only together the one time, that's all it took. After that, Jack decided to throw himself at his work and ward off any potential relationships for a long time, he didn't want to get hurt like that again anytime soon.

"Yeah," Mark cleared his throat, "Yes, I remember. So listen...now's not the best time to talk I'm out of town right now."

"Mark, it's pretty important...j-just please hear me out for a second." Jack's voice sounded so small he was almost at a whisper. He took a deep breath in and released it before he attempted to speak again. "Do you remember...." He was cut off abruptly.

"Mark, who are you talking to, can you hang up and come back to bed? You don't want to keep me waiting do you?" Jack heard a seductive woman's voice in the background before what sounded like Mark trying to cover the speaker.

"Listen, I'm a bit busy so we're going to have to talk later, I'm sure whatever it is can wait." The line went dead before Jack could respond.

He broke down crying again, no, this was important and needed to be said now. Jack dialed the phone again but was sent straight to voicemail. He caved... he cried from loss, from heartache, from loneliness. At that point he decided to not tell Mark what happened, hell, to not ever talk to Mark again...the man wasn't worth it.

Little did Jack know that Mark clutched his phone like a lifeline, he wanted to talk to Jack so bad it physically hurt. After their evening together, Mark just couldn't come to terms with his feelings. He had fallen hard for Jack and wanted the man in his life more than almost anything, unfortunately a voice rang in the back of his head like a death sentence. His mom was very much against the gay lifestyle and swore to both of her son's to disown them if they ever brought a boyfriend home.

Mark thought he just needed time to sort things out in his head enough to stand up to his mom and explain that he wanted Jack in his life and no one had ever made him happier. Well, the intentions were there until he got his mom on the phone- she was a pro at the art of guilt tripping. Mark didn't have the strength to break his mom's heart so he told her that him and Maxine were dating again. She was older and her health was fragile so any kind of shock, especially a confession of dating a man, would be potentially detrimental to her health in Mark's mind. His mom was thrilled, Max was beautiful and kind to her, she wanted more than anything for Mark to marry Max.

Now, Mark had to break the news to Max that they were dating again, not that she would be upset, she had been hounding the red head about getting back together...looks like she wins.

Mark wasn't sure exactly how it got to this point, he was dating a woman that he really didn't even care for just to appease his mom and throwing away potentially the love of his life. He locked himself in the bathroom for a bit and quietly let the tears flow as he rejected Jack's second and last call.

Felix returned to the room alone, Wade had a meeting to get to so he left with a promise to check up on Jack later that evening. Jack was set to leave the hospital first thing in the morning so Felix chose to stay with him and keep him company after a quick call to Marzia to explain the situation.

"Did you get a hold of who you needed to talk to?" Felix asked quietly as he blotted the tears away from Jack's cheeks with a tissue.

"No, and I don't think at this point it's even worth it. He was just a one night stand... something I never should have done." He played with his fingers just wanting to wake up from this horrible dream.

"I'm so sorry, you deserve so much better than this." Trying to be as sympathetic as possible and not trying to pry too much, Felix was painfully curious as to who the father was. "So, if you don't mind me asking... who were you trying to call."

"Don't worry about it Fe, he's not worth it."

Jack wound up staying a few days with Felix and Marzia at the request of his doctor while he recovered. He truly hated the way they fawned over him, treating him like a delicate piece of glass that would shatter at any moment but he also didn't want to be alone either.

Mark had returned from his trip to New York where he broke ground on one of his five new shelters. Even though they had just gotten back together, Maxine insisted on going with him so she could "get some shopping in". To Mark's disappointment but not surprise, she didn't even attend the ground breaking ceremony... Jack would have.

The sound of gun fire rang through the room as the three men shouted and pounded away at the keyboards, Mark, Bob and Wade were all playing an online co-op game that evening since Mark finally got a free moment away from Max. 

"Man, it's like we never get to see you anymore." Bob said as he sniped Mark's character.

"Yeah, I miss this. Here I thought we were going to finally have a fourth and then it's like Bob and I were on our own." Wade chimed in.

"What the hell do you mean a fourth?"

"You know, Jack. You guys seemed to hit it off so well and then nothing..." The round ended, Wade exited the game, turning to talk more to his friend.

"It just didn't work out that way" Mark said quietly as he sipped on hos drink trying to avoid any more questions.

"Sucks what happened to him, he was so tore up." Wade mumbled as he left the room to go to the restroom.

Mark sat in shock not knowing if he should ask... with a painful jab piercing his heart at the thought of something bad happening to Jack, he had to ask, "W-what happened..."

"Oh, I thought you'd heard but guess not... Him and Wade were in a meeting about the building he designed for us and he just collapsed. Turns out he was pregnant and had a miscarriage." Bob said with concern in his voice but still rather nonchalantly.

"P-pregnant? He was pregnant? I...I had no idea." Mark's breathing sped up, he needed to know for sure. "So how's his boyfriend taking the news"

"Well, he wasn't really dating anyone. He said it was like a one time thing." Bob explained as Wade came back in the room.

Wade could see make was visibly shaking, "Mark, you good man?"

"Wa.. H-how far a-along was he"

"The doctor I talked to said about three weeks, his friend Felix and I were there. Guess he tried to call the father but didn't get through to him or something."

Mark slapped his hands over his mouth as his eyes began to water up, "So the baby... th- they're just g-gone... it's just.. the baby is... oh god... oh god no...no, no, no..." Mark rested his head wrapped in his arms on the table and audibly cried.

The other two men looked at each other in curiosity, Bob rested his hand on Mark's back, "It's alright man, Jack seems to be doing better now. Man, I didn't think you'd get so worked up about this... unfortunately these things happen."

"These things happen....THESE. THINGS. HAPPEN??? Bob, I fucking just found out that I lost a child... these things don't just happen." He tore out of his seat and started pacing the floor, Bob and Wade stood in shock at the confession.

"Don't you mean Jack lost a child?" Wade said quietly.

"No, jesus man, don't you fucking get it... I slept with him ok... I slept with a man, apparently got him pregnant and then threw him out like he was a piece of garbage.... what the fuck kind of person does that? I caused all of this because I'm too fucking scared to admit I have feelings for a man" He collapsed to the floor trying to catch his breath.

"Mark? You mean... you're... he called you that day?"

"Yes, and I was a total ass to him and wouldn't even talk... he said it was important but I wouldn't even give him five minutes.... fucking hell, what if us loosing this baby really is all because of me... I fucking treated him like shit, stressed him out and killed our baby. Oh god, I... I k-killed our poor little baby." Mark was on his knees, resting his hands on his thighs as the tears soaked dark spots into his jeans, his head shot up as he looked to Wade in almost a plea. "Please tell me Jack is ok... my poor sweet Jack... please tell me he's ok."

"Mark, you need to talk to him... he's getting through and even returned to work but he's still so tore up about it." Wade had no idea what to say, he'd seen both sides of this now and was at a total loss as to why they stopped talking in the first place... one thing at a time.

Wade sat on the floor next to Mark, "Look, if you call I can almost guarantee he won't talk to you. Just let me see if I can convince him to see you then you two sit and talk about this face to face." Still staring at the ground Mark shook his head in agreement.


	12. Special Delivery

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mark is hoping to open the door to communication.

There was a soft knock at the door of the temporary office, "Come in" Jack shouted from the inside. Wade and Bob had set up a workspace for Jack at their law firm while he oversees the construction of their new building for the next few months.

"Hey buddy, how's it going in here?" Peeking his head in the door, Wade came with an agenda.

"Oh, hey Wade, come on in. What can I do for ya?" Jack sat back in his chair sipping at his coffee.

The tall man came in and sat down at the chair that sat on the opposite side of the desk gingerly, almost as if he didn't want to alert the man on the other side that anything was up. He paused for a moment just staring at Jack, after just finding out about what happened between him and Mark, it was hard to not say anything. Fortunately, that wasn't going to be for long...

"Soooo... I have no segue into this to make it anymore comfortable but I talked to Mark last night." He said with his eyes adverted to the floor until he heard a small gasp emit from Jack.

"Well, I mean you guys are friends so that's not that unexpected... Did you have something about work you needed to talk about." He had a bad feeling about this.

"Not exactly about work, listen, I don't even really know how it came up but he's.... it's pretty bad."

"Wade, I don't know what you're talking about," Yes he did, "but I don't really know Mark that well," Yes he does "if something is going on with him it's not my business. " Yes it is.

Wade didn't read between the lines at all, he just laid it all out, "Mark absolutely broke, I couldn't even pick the man off of the floor it was so bad. I understand if you two don't want anyone else to know but you should at least have a conversation about it. He's suffering from the loss too."

Jack's eyes shot up as he stared, almost with pleading eyes, at Wade, "Who else knows?"

"Just me and Bob, it's not my place to tell anyone else."

Sitting back in his chair and rubbing his hand across the scarred area of his still tender belly, Jack shook is head in frustration. After Mark didn't answer that day, he had hoped to be done with the man but unfortunately he was becoming closer and closer to Mark's friends- therefore he was thrust into that circle.

Letting out a huff, Jack was beyond frustrated, "I thought after he didn't want to talk to me, he would be out of my life and I could just heal and move on... He's such an ass Wade, I really just don't want to talk to him. Can you just tell him that it's done, there is no baby anymore and there's nothing else we need to talk about." Jack stood up and circled around the desk to the door, "Matter of fact, tell him to leave me alone and to go to hell." He slammed the door behind him before heading to the bathroom to lock himself in for some alone time.

Wade sat shocked but not surprised, he made his way back to his own office and dialed the phone. "Mark, it's not looking so good, he's still pretty pissed..."

The two had a short conversation, Mark was determined to talk to Jack but he just didn't know how without just showing up at his place of work. That wouldn't be the best thing for anyone so he decided to do something different, he was going to try to worm his way back into the Irishman's heart- at least enough for Jack to talk to him again.

After a bit to calm his nerves, Jack finally opened the door of the bathroom to peek his head out. He could hear vaguely Wade in his office, sounded like somewhat of an important meeting so he was hoping he could avoid engaging the tall man again for a bit. He headed back to his office, shut and locked the door this time and worked on his speech for the upcoming ground breaking ceremony. That should keep his mind off of things for the next few hours.

There was a knock at the door, instead of inviting the guest in, he got up and answered the door to have a large bouquet of flowers thrust in his face. "Delivery for Mr. Jack Mcloughlin"

"That's me...are you sure these are for me?" Before he could really get out the question, the man was gone, leaving Jack with the gift.

He sat the vase down on his desk, the arrangement was at least three feet tall. He searched the almost jungle of flowers for a note, finding one he opened it to read, 

'I'm sorry, I don't deserve  
a conversation with you  
but I'm begging.

Sincerely,

A Total Ass'

Jack smirked but it didn't dull the fury he still has toward that man, regardless, the flowers were quite pretty and were allowed a place in the corner of his office.

After work, Jack was asked to come and hang out with Felix and Marzia for dinner and a movie. Once he arrived, Felix greeted him at the door with a sort of sympathetic smile that Jack could peg right away. 

"What's that look for Fe?"

Felix stepped aside to a straight eyeshot of the dining room table. Upon the table sat a large bouquet of flowers, "Oh fuck...." Jack sighed as he made his way to the arrangement to look for the card.

'Thank you for being  
there for Jack like I  
failed to do. I owe you  
so much.

Sincerely, 

Mark'

"Well, the man's good at his research if he found our address. I'm assuming this Mark guy is..."

"Yeah...yeah he is. You should see the monstrosity he sent me." Jack rubbed one of the petals between his fingers as he spoke.

"So does this mean he knows and you guys talked?" Felix rubbed his hand across Jack's shoulder blades.

"Well, he found out but no, we didn't talk... I really just want to move on."

"You need to talk to him Jack, you know that right. Whether he was an ass or not, he's going through this too now."

Jack groaned, he didn't feel like a lecture, "Fe, not now please. It's my choice and if I just want to block him out of my life it's my choice."

Felix put his hands up in front of him defensively, "Hey, I know, I know... so do I know this guy?"

"Remember that ten thousand dollar date?"

His eyebrows shot up in surprise, "You mean Fischbach... oh shit, I had no idea he'd be like that."

Rolling his eyes and sitting down at the table in defeat, "It wasn't like that the whole time we were together, actually, he was wonderful, perfect almost... he just seemed to freak out a bit after we got a bit more intimate then just seemed to rush me out the door like he immediately regretted it. Fe, I've never felt so used and just horrible about myself." Jack started to pick away at his cuticles again as he spoke and teared up, a bad habit he formed long ago.

As the week wore on, Jack worked hard to finalize the ground breaking for the new building. This particular build made quite the buzz around all of the architectural community as well as the art world. He had interviews lined up with several magazines and websites, photo shoots and meetings galore. To say he was busy was an understatement, he barely had time to take a lunch break or anything. There was a knock at his office door, "Come In" Jack said as he typed away at an email.

"Delivery for Jack Mcloughlin"

"Uuhh, I didn't order this."

"I know, it was sent from a friend." The delivery girl winked and promptly left before Jack could put two and two together... she was the hostess that seated him at the resturant Mark had taken him to, also a friend of Mark's doing him a favor.

Jack was left with a basket, it contained a small table cloth, candle, drink and a delicious looking steak salad with pears and a sweet vinaigrette. Oh, at the very bottom was a note,

'Jack, I know you don't want to talk to me  
but I just need you to know how very sorry  
I am about everything. My heart is just  
broken, I disrespected you and don't deserve  
your time that I'm still begging for. Just  
a call is all I'll ask.

Sincerely,

A desperate man'

Jack shook his head as he looked at the array of items in front of him, maybe just one little call wouldn't be all that bad. Not before lunch though, he was starving so he dug in.


	13. Let's Talk About It

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The two men talk a bit about the past so they can move on.

Jack had never been so happy for the weekend, this week had been pretty brutal. Not only was he still on the mends both physically and emotionally but he'd been as busy as ever. With the ground breaking on Bob and Wade's new building this coming Wednesday, there were way too many last second details to finalize but he needed the weekend off to rest his mind and body.

Sitting in his office as he packed up his laptop, Jack eyed the three large arrangments that were delivered to him this week. It was way too excessive, along with the two lunches... Mark had started to get to him. At least the red head had accomplished what he intended, Jack had him on his mind.

As Jack started to head out, he paused and grabbed a yellow rose from one of the arrangements and headed to Wade's office. 

"Hey man, could you help me out with something?" 

"Ummm, sure. I've got a bit of time to kill." Wade was told the plan and the two men headed out. It was a short drive that Wade knew well, he was rather happy to help out Jack at this point.

The two men arrived at the destination, walked to the front door, knocked and waited for an answer. Wade stood square in the doorway as Jack stayed hidden off to the side, Mark soon pulled open the front door to a smiling Wade.

"Hey Wade... What's up?"

"Special Delivery" Wade said with a small smile as he stepped aside to reveal a small green haired man with his eyes adverted to the ground.

For a brief moment Mark felt almost like he was floating above his body, watching down on the scene unfolding in front of him. He never expected to talk to Jack again much less see him, "Jack?" He choked out in a whisper as tears formed in his eyes.

Jack held out the yellow rose to offer Mark, "Got the flowers you sent"

Mark took a step toward the smaller man just for him to noticeably flinch at the sudden movement. It wasn't that he was scared of Mark, he was just so overwhelmed with different emotions at the moment it made him rather jumpy. The red head retreated as if he was scared to move and frighten off Jack.

"W-what are you... I can't believe you're here. Are you ok?" Mark said while still standing in the doorway but before Jack could answer, a figure appeared behind Mark,

"I didn't realize you were having your gaming people over tonight... wish you would have warned me first." The dark haired woman placed her hands on Mark's hips and rested her chin on his shoulder almost in a predatory move. Mark simply shut his eyes and let out a sigh in response.

"I- I wasn't exactly expecting them but there are a few things I need to sort out here, maybe we could have lunch tomorrow?" He pulled her hands from his waist and urged her to leave.

Maxine was hesitant and completely offended that he dared put his friends before her but she was sure to put him on a guilt trip about it tomorrow. She thought that maybe she could get a new necklace out of the 'misunderstanding'. "Fine then, guess our evening can be interrupted just this once" she eyed the other men up and down letting her position known before she grabbed her purse and keys, pulled Mark in for a rather unattractive kiss and headed out.

"Well she's a fucking ball of joy." Jack mumbled out under his breath, Mark and Wade both busted out laughing.

"On that note, I have an errand to run so I'll leave you two at it." Wade turned to Jack placing his hands on his shoulders, "Call me when you're ready" it was a silent agreement that the taller man would stay close by for when Jack was ready to escape, he responded with a nod.

"Shit, I've made you stand on the porch all this time, please come in." Mark motioned for Jack to come in to the living room, leading him to the couch.

Jack remained quiet as he started to sit next to Mark on the couch, leaving an empty seat between them. Mark put his hand out motioning for him to stop, "Can I ask something?" 

Looking at him from behind his long lashes, Jack furrowed his brow as if questioning Mark silently.

"Y-you can say no but..." Mark fidgeted in his seat looking down to the ground not really confident in what he was about to ask. "Jack, c-can I see it...can I see the scar?"

Cocking his head to one side, Jack thought for a moment. Honestly, he understood why Mark wanted to see, he was just not very comfortable showing it. With a heavy sigh, he hesitantly shook his head to the seated man in front of him. Jack took a small step back, held his breath and slowly lifted his shirt just a bit. His jeans rode low on his hips naturally so the healing scar was visible just above the line of his boxers.

Mark quietly stared for a moment before Jack noticed a slight quiver at the corners of his mouth and a glaze grace his eyes. The red head reached his hands out towards Jack's hips before he hesitated and pulled back, he looked up at Jack who just closed his eyes and let out a sigh with a small single nod.

Placing his warm hands on either side of Jack's hips, he pulled the smaller man slightly closer. Mark ran his thumb softly back and forth over the slightly reddish incision site as he let the tears run down his cheeks. 

Jack could hear the quiet sniffles but didn't open his eyes, Mark glanced back up to notice this. He slowly pulled Jack even closer to him until he was face to belly with Jack, leaning forward and whispering an 'I'm sorry' before placing a small kiss to the area. The green haired man heard his breath catch as he rested his forehead to the small man's stomach.

The voice was weak and quiet but Jack could still hear what Mark needed to say, "To the day I die, I'll never forgive myself. I feel like this is all my fault. I abandoned you, I abandoned our baby, I stressed you out and you lost the baby because of me."

"Mark don't, it's no one's fault. What happened between us really had nothing to do with loosing the baby, there's no telling where things went wrong but this is the situation we're left with. I'm doing just fine dealing with it on my own..."

Mark promptly cut him off, raising his head to look at the Irishman, "But you shouldn't have to Jack, I should have been there for you... both of you." He stood and put both of his hands on the sides of Jack's face to make sure the smaller man looked at him and understood how serious he was. "I had never been so close to falling in love before I met you, it scared me how quickly everything happened. I know it's no excuse for how horrible I've been to you but I don't know what will happen after today so I need to get it out. Damn it Jack, I love you. I love you and it scared me."

"Please don't..." Jack pulled back from Mark's hands.

"Jack, if I don't now then I could loose you forever...if I haven't already."

"Mark, I only came here to talk, I had no intentions on anything else between us after this. I'm sorry but I don't think I can put myself out there like that again any time soom." Jack took several steps back from the intimate situation. 

As if on cue, two balls of fluff came bounding out towards Jack, jumping up on his legs whining in excitement. "Oh, the two troublemakers." Jack bent down to pet Chica and Hazel. "Wade said you may have to get rid of Hazel because of the new girlfriend?" He said with a slight bitter tone.

"Yeah, I think I'll get rid of her in the morning" Mark said as he watched the dogs attack Jack with sloppy kisses.

"Oh, poor baby" Jack cupped Hazel's furry face placing soft kisses to her cold wet nose. 

"Yeah, I don't think my girls will mind me getting rid of Max, they didn't really like her to start out with. Honestly, I don't really think I did much either, it was more of a distraction I guess."

Jack's hardened expression toward Mark softened a bit, "I don't know Max, but there's no way you could go wrong keeping these two beautiful ladies around."

"There's actually one more beautiful thing I wish I could keep around" 

"Oh cut the bullshit lines Mark." Mark put his hands up in defense at the statement, Jack let out a huff and paused for a moment as if to consider options. "I'm not promising a damn thing to you but I would like to visit these two again... and I guess if you're around too, I could say hi or something."

It wasn't exactly warm and fuzzy but Mark would take it.


	14. Fetch

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mark and Jack meet by chance and Mark looses some extra baggage

Mark woke up early the next morning on a mission, first off to take the dogs for a run in the park. He pulled on his tennis shoes and grabbed the dual leash, once Chica and Hazel heard the clatter of the leash they came sprinting. This was one of all of their favorite activities to do, especially since Mark usually takes a pit stop on the way home at Starbucks to reward the dogs with their own pup cups and himself with a black breakfast blend.

The morning was surprisingly brisk and very sunny, the park was rather desolate so they had the place pretty much to themselves. Mark pocketed a ball before he left the house so took advantage of the empty park for some playtime with the girls. Chica sat by his side as the fluffy border collie mix ran out her boundless energy chasing after the tennis ball then happily returning it. This... this is what Mark wants to share with someone special but he knew that the someone he was currently sharing his life with would turn their nose up at it. 

Mark closed his eyes and thought about a day just like this but with a certain green haired Irishman by his side. They could walk hand in hand accompanied by the dogs, take turn sharing kisses and throwing the ball. Maybe eventually they could bring their son or daughter along.... Mark's eyes shot open, he shook off the image. It was hard enough to get Jack to even talk to him much less have a family together, unfortunately it's been crossing his mind much more than he wished. He didn't know why the image kept returning, after they'd lost the baby... it's practically on his mind twenty-four seven.

He knew his mom liked Maxine quite a bit but when was it his turn to choose what was best for his life? He's a grown man, why does he seek his mother's approval so much? Mark guessed it came from his childhood and always feeling like he was in competition with his older brother. Thomas is an accomplished artist who has a very successful comic series and travels to conventions to meet fans, Mark on the other hand 'plays with dogs' according to his mom. As he watched Hazel bound back to plant the ball in his lap he decided, he was done trying to seek approval. If he was going to truly be happy then he needed to go after what he wanted and he wanted Jack.

Sitting under a small flowering tree, Jack typed away at his laptop working on various components on a presentation he had coming up with a potential new client, he felt something hit his leg. Peering around to see what had hit him, he picked up a pink tennis ball with the company logo for Little Dumpling Dog Toys, the coincidence made him chuckle as he tried to find where it came from. Much to his surprise, Hazel came bounding over the small hill looking for her toy. The fluff ball immediately recognized Jack and went right to him.

Mark snapped out of his daze to notice Hazel didn't return the ball this time, matter of fact she was no where in site. He stood, latched the leash back on Chica's collar and called for Hazel, she still didn't come. Walking towards where he threw the ball, Mark's eyes widened with excitement as he noticed a lot more green than the grass, Hazel had taken the ball to Jack who was planted on a small blanket with his laptop. 

"Trying to steal my girl?" Mark said in a deep threatening voice, well, he liked to think it was threatening.

"Oh Hazel, I think he's onto us." Jack said faking shock as much as he could muster.

The two men laughed at the situation, neither really realized the close proximity of the park to their respective homes. Almost equal distance in separate directions, Mark usually jogged here with the dogs where Jack drives to his favorite coffee shop across the street then enjoys the weather and some work time under a tree. 

"So, do you come here often" Lowering his voice and wiggling his eyebrows, Mark meant it as a joke. 

"Seriously man, what's with you and the pickup lines?"

"I just like messing with you I guess, I can stop if I make you uncomfortable." Mark dropped the sensual voice for a more concerned one.

"It's not that, it's just... with our past... I don't know. Never mind, wanna sit for a few." Jack gestured to a spot next to him on his blanket as he shut his computer.

The two men sat for about an hour just chatting while Hazel snuggled in Jack's lap and Chica in Mark's.

"I need to get going, wanna ride back home?" Jack started to stand and pack up his laptop. 

Honestly Mark had planned on jogging back home but he wasn't going to pass up a rare opportunity to spend time with Jack. The two made it to the car with the dogs, loaded everything up and headed to Mark's house.

Returning home, a bit later than planned, Mark was met at the door by a rather angry Maxine. She watched with daggers in her eyes as Jack drove away with a small wave.

"So first you blow me off yesterday then you're late to our date today because you're hanging out with him again...what the hell are you thinking?" The woman said with her finger in Mark's face, he just stood there listening to her bracelets rattle on her wrist.

"Max, honestly I've been thinking about a lot lately..."

"Well, hopefully part of it is this dog, why on Earth is she still around... and why do you smell, God Mark, here I thought you were going to take me out to a nice lunch and you're completely disgusting."

"Enough... the dog is staying, I went for a run and I'm done here."

"Done? You can't be serious... Mark really, you think you can do better, that's cute." Max rolled her eyes and pushed her way past Mark into his home.

He decided this is it, no date, no lunch, no nice talk... Mark was cutting ties now. "Seriously Max, you need to leave. I can't pretend any more, you use me, bitch at me, try to force me to get rid of my dog... we're over."

Max turned to him with a glint in her eyes, "You're mother will be so disappointed when I call her... shame."

"You're not pulling that on me, as long as I'm happy then that's what matters and I would never be happy with someone like you."

She strolled up to him running her fingers up his chest to boop his nose, "We'll see Fischbach" and with that she walked out.

Mark's back hit the door after he slammed it shut and he let out a sigh, he finally did something to make himself happy so why did he feel so bad. On to more important issues, like showering and trying to figure out how to spend more time with Jack.

Later that night, Jack stared down at his phone ringing, he knew the number but wasn't too sure if he wanted to answer. He opted to let it go to voicemail, maybe Mark would leave a message and let Jack know what he wanted so he could be better prepared. Jack still wasn't completely convinced he wanted to talk to Mark on a regular basis so he saved it for later and headed to Felix's house to hang out for the evening.


	15. We Make a Great Team

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The guys try to convince Jack to come over and game with them.

It's been a week since Mark ran into Jack at the park and he's found himself taking early morning jogs more frequently. No such luck as to run into the Irishman again, maybe he was avoiding Mark or maybe he was just busy, Mark liked to think it was the latter.

Not only did he go on more jogs but Mark found himself resuming his normal hectic schedule between the shelter and his office at Little Dumpling Co.. Jack, on the other hand, had started slowing down for a change much to his relief. He was actually rather giddy today since he was gifted an advanced copy of an awesome multiplayer game from a previous client. Once getting the notification of the gift, he rushed to Bob and Wade's office to see if they wanted to try it out tonight.

"Actually, we sort of already have plans for tonight" Wade looked over at Bob questioning if they should tell Jack they'd be over at Mark's.

"Well, maybe you could come with us and we could all play?" Bob almost bites his tongue because as far as they know Mark and Jack aren't exactly on the best of terms. He takes his chances since him and Wade have both decided Jack is the perfect fourth addition to their gaming circle.

"I...I ummm... where would we be going exactly?" He knew exactly where they'd be going.

The two lawyers looked at each other then back at Jack almost in unison, they knew Mark wouldn't mind- hell, he asked about the green haired man all the time. To be bluntly honest, they had talked him out of calling Jack too frequently and freaking the man out almost on a nightly basis. They knew that Mark had it bad, he truly wanted Jack in his life as more than a fourth player but he'd take what he could get.

"Well, we we're going over to game with Mark tonight but I'm sure he'd be happy to have a fourth join in."

"Oh guys, I don't want to impose or anything... I could always ask Felix or, well someone else I guess." Jack shied away from the idea of hanging out with Mark, he wasn't sure if he wanted to open that door but he really wanted to try this multiplayer game. He weighed his options and decided to have them call Mark on speaker phone to put feelers out and see if Mark was truly ok with him coming over.

Bob dialed the phone, putting it on speaker, "Hey buddy, what's going on?" He wanted to say right away that Jack was there but Jack put his finger to his lips. He didn't want Mark to know he was in the room when they asked about him joining them tonight.

"Well, I wanted to talk to you about tonight.... what would you think if we brought a fourth to play tonight."

Mark had a really rough day at work today and was completely exhausted. Instead of spending the majority of his day at the shelter like he likes to do, he wound up sorting things out with his design team who spent the day bickering over new toy designs for the spring line of pet toys that need to go into production like yesterday.

He groaned over the phone "I really don't feel like entertaining anyone new tonight, can we just game and get drunk on our own?" Mark's voice became whiney, Jack snickered since he'd never experienced this side of Mark.

Jack reached over and hit the mute button, "See, he's not up to it. It's alright, we can do it another time."

Wade rolled his eyes, "Watch this" He unmuted the phone, "What if I told you we were bringing Jack?"

There was an audible crash, the men chuckled knowing he either fell out of his seat or dropped his phone. "W-what? Jack wants to come over... oh, oh I need to go to the store and get snacks and drinks. Whiskey... he likes whiskey on the rocks... what time are you guys bringing him, should I dress up?" Mark rambled on like he was freaking out over a fancy dinner party. Jack slapped his hand over his mouth, not to laugh but out of surprise the way Mark was fussing over the idea of him coming over.

Jack waved his hand motioning for them to mute the phone, Wade cut Mark off, "Hey... hey Mark, take a breath for a moment, I need to answer another call but I'll be right back." He muted the phone again looking to Jack in question.

"What's going on?" 

"Maybe this isn't such a good idea, he said he wanted to relax and now he's freaking out over nothing. Just...just forget it. The three of us can play tomorrow or something." Jack waved it off and darted from the room, honestly he was uncomfortable with the enthusiasm Mark showed with just the potential of him coming over.

Bob unmuted Mark's call as Wade chased after him, catching his foot in Jack's office door before it was closed. "Look Jack, I've been friends with Mark since grade school and I just want you to know that he's a really good guy. He'd give anyone who needed it the shirt off his back... In all honesty, he sucks at relationships, it's his major downfall. I don't know exactly what happened between you two but just try to give him a chance at a friendship, he may surprise you."

Letting his hand off the office door to let Wade enter, Jack hopped up on the front of his desk sitting and lightly swinging his legs. He watched his feet sway back and forth for a moment seemingly to collect his thoughts before he spoke. 

"I don't doubt Mark's a great friend, hell, he saves animals for a damn living... that's not something you do as a job, that's something you do from the heart. I... I'm just nervous Wade." Jack shifted on his desk a bit.

Wade entered and shut the door behind him before crossing over towards Jack, "About what Jack, let me help ease your mind. We really want you in our friend group but the strain between you and Mark makes that impossible. If you let me help, then I'll keep Mark at bay."

Jack looked up at him with questions written all over his face.

"The man is crazy for you, he's never stopped talking about you. Not since the day you guys met, I just never put two and two together to realize what he actually meant until I found out about... ya know. I think if you can honestly spend time with him, you'll realize what an amazing friend he can be... just be honest and upfront with him if you only want a friendship and that's it. He's a big boy, I'm sure he'll understand."

After mulling it over in his head for a bit, Jack slowly started nodding. "Alright... I'll give it a shot but I'm not promising anything."

Wade smiled and clapped his hand to Jack's shoulder, "Great, welcome to the club Jackaboy"

The three men headed over to Mark's house for a night of gaming, once there Wade pulled Mark off to the side to have a little chat with him about keeping his emotions under control when it came to Jack. Mark was of course disappointed but understood, it's not exactly easy to recover from what the two men had been through on an intimate level much less a strictly friendship level. Mark would have to suffer in the friendzone if he ever wanted to spend time with Jack and that's a task he's willing to try just to be close to the Irishman.

Mark and Wade entered the gaming room to see Jack and Bob already working away at the four computers as they set the game up. 

Jack spoke up first, "Alright boys choose your poison." He was referring to the PC's that were now displaying a brand new game.

Bob choose purple, Wade red, Mark sat at the blue computer which left Jack with green. "I thought you always took green, isn't that you're favorite color?" Bobo asked Mark as he slipped the headset around his neck.

"Oh, well yeah but it matches Jack way better... blue is fine with me." He said with a small smile towards Jack.

The rest of the evening consisted of throwing handfulls of popcorn at each other, to which Chica and Hazel happily cleaned up, drinks, the occasional colorful commentary and breaking off into teams. Bob and Wade versus, Jack and Mark... imagine that.

"Holy shit balls Mark you're right in the line of fire... duck man!" Just in time Mark's character hit the deck and Jack was able to snipe Wade for the win. The two men celebrated by clinking their glasses together and chest bumping. 

Mark looked over at Jack for a second with his signature crooked smile, "We make a damn good team don't we?"

Removing his headset and sitting back in his chair relishing in the current victory, "Yeah, we do. We should do this again sometime."

The two just stared at one and other for a moment, it didn't go unnoticed by Bob and Wade. 

"Welp, on that note, Mandy's going to start sending out a search party if I'm not home soon so I think I'll take my leave." Bob stood up grabbing his keys, luckily he was the sober one of the night... not that any of them drank enough to get drunk. None of them wanted to risk taking a loss from being too inebriated.

"I think I'll tag along if you want to swing me home on the way." Wade stood next to him, wiping the chucked popcorn off his lap as he stood. "Jack, what about you-are you riding with us or are you going to catch an Uber?"

He looked around at the mess they created and felt a ping of guilt, "I think I'm gonna stay and help clean before heading out so you guys go on without me."

The two lawyers looked at each other with a hidden surprised reaction on their faces before they bid farewell and headed out.

Jack gather glasses as Mark rolled up half eaten bags of chips, the two worked quietly in unison only stopping to occasionally pet the dogs who followed their every move. Once the room was a bit more in manageable order, Jack pulled out his phone to call for a ride. 

"Hey, if you want I can drive you" Mark offered.

"Actually, I'm not really that tired yet so I may not go directly home." Jack hesitated to say, he didn't really feel like going home yet but he wasn't too sure he wanted one on one time with Mark either.

"Why don't you stay a bit, we can watch a movie or something, I'm pretty sure the girls won't mind staying up past their bedtime to keep us company."

Jack cocked his head as he looked down at Chica who was currently nudging at his palm for continued pets, "Alright, just for a bit though and only because this sweet girl seems to be starving for attention." He bent down baby talking Chica as he finished the end of that statement.

The four of them quietly settled on the couch before finding some bullshit movie to watch, about half way through and with a lap full of warm dog, Jack drifted off to sleep. Mark didn't have the heart to wake the sleeping Irishman so he rounded up a blanket and gently covered him up. He sat for a while, finishing the movie, really just watching Jack sleep. He couldn't help himself, Jack looked like an angel as his hair flopped over his eyes and his legs curled into his frame. This friendship thing was going to be a challenge.


	16. Bad Dreams

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jack crashes on Mark's couch but wakes from bad dreams. Mark had a surprise for Jack

Mark sat for a bit just watching Jack sleep on his couch, curled up with his dogs... this is definitely not a good start to the whole friendship boundary thing. He just took in the sight, engraining to his memory every curve to Jack's face, the smoothness of his neck, the soft rise and fall of his chest and even how his slender fingers remain tangled in the long fur, imagining it was his own hair. The urge to wrap the small Irishman in his arms while he slept was almost overwhelming, at that point Mark decided to grab his own blanket and curl into the chair next to the couch and try to get a bit of shut eye.

If Mark were to seriously guess, he would say he slept for about an hour before he was startled awake by an unusual noise. He looked over to see a restless Jack mumbling in his sleep, then a sudden gasp as he woke up. Jack sat wide eyed and slightly confused for a moment before Mark quickly made his way in front of the couch on his knees. He grabbed the smaller man's hand and just held it as he came out of his daze. 

"Bad dream?"

Jack shook his head, blinking is eyes and realizing he's still curled up on Mark's couch with Chica and Hazel by his side. He looked over at Mark then down at his hand being tightly gripped in Mark's, "Y-yeah.. Something like that." 

The smaller man quickly diverted his eyes as they started to tear, he really didn't want Mark to see this part of him. He slowly pulled his hand away from Mark's as he tried to slow his breathing drawing attention from the red head who got up to retrieve a bottle of water. Mark settled back on his knees in front of the couch, "Do you want to talk about it?"

Biting at his lower lip and letting his eyes fall shut, he felt unusually defenseless. If anyone would understand it would be the man right in front of him, "I see them in my dreams all of the time Mark, they're always being taken from me and there's nothing I can do. J-just always so small and innocent and no matter how much I try, I can't protect them," Jack looked up to Mark for the first time since he started talking to realize they were both crying at this point. "Mark..." the smaller man's breath caught in his throat as he cried at the thought of their lost child in his dreams.

Mark did the only thing he instinctually knew to do, grabbing the smaller man's hands, leading him to the chair and pulling him down into his lap to wrap his arms around him. Jack just let it happen, it actually felt comforting to him after all these weeks to have someone that would understand there to hold him.

Sitting with Jack sprawled across his lap, Mark just stroked his hair and whispered quiet words into his hair while slightly rocking him for comfort. "It's going to be ok Jack... it's going to be ok. I promise, you're going to find the strength and move forward. Just... please, please let me be there for you. I want more than anything to be there for you." He no longer could hold back the sobs, to be honest, Mark had been having similar dreams on and off since finding out. It felt good, almost therapeutic to just hold Jack and let go of the emotions so they sat quiet for a bit as Mark continued to card his fingers through the green locks.

"Jack listen, I know there's part of you that hates me and I can't blame you- what I did was wrong, but even if it's just as friends I want you to reach out to me when this happens."

Keeping his head resting on Mark's shoulder, half buried in his neck, Jack took in a calming breath and released it. "I don't hate you...It's just... I just hope it gets easier."

In a protective manner, Mark kissed the top of Jack's head, "Me too"

The two men dozed off like this for an hour or two before Jack returned to the couch. He decided it was too late at night to really call for an Uber so the couch would do for the night, even if it was Mark's.

Early the next morning, Mark sat at the table sipping his coffee waiting for Jack to wake. He kept an ear out for anymore distress but hoped the younger man would stay asleep, he seemed like he really needed it. 

Another week had passed silently between the two, Mark hated the distance between them knowing what Jack was going through mentally but he couldn't very well push himself on Jack if he didn't want the shoulder to cry on. He made a decision to give Jack a gift, not something material per say but something meaningful and from the heart. Not a grand gesture declaring his love but showing his appreciation for the man.

Calling Jack for the first time in a week, he left a message, "Hey Jack, it's Mark. I wanted to invite you to the grand re-opening of the shelter in Santa Barbra, ya know, the one that got flooded. Just ummmm, call me...please... and I'll give you the details. It would really mean the world to me if you were there."

Jack listened to the message and contemplated if it was something he wanted to be a part of or not. The shelter held such good memories of the night he and Mark spent there together and how amazing it felt to assist in the rescue, but then again it also lead to not so great memories of the following day. He was torn but ultimately decided to attend, so with a phone call to Mark, he got the details and made plans.

The ceremony was held on a Tuesday and consisted of a small gathering of local supporters from the community, nothing too big or fancy, just a humble celebration. The staff were all on hand to help with the adoption specials that were offered that day and Mark was prepared with a speech.

"Ladies and gentlemen I want to thank you for your continued support of the Little Dumpling Shelters and welcome you to the re opening of the Santa Barbara location. As you know we were among the victims of the floods not long ago but we are back and ready to find our loving pets forever homes. When the storms hit it was difficult to get to the actual shelter to check on the well being of our friends but with the help of my friend Jack, we were able to rescue two of our own that got out and into the flood waters. Without Jack's help, we may have been too late so I want to thank him for his bravery today by dedicating this shelter to his name."

Mark then unveiled a plaque by the front door with 'Special thanks to Sean "Jack" Mcloughlin" on it. Jack was taken back by the gesture and genuinely surprised that Mark had done this. 

"Mark, I really don't know what on Earth to say... really, thank you." Jack said as he pulled Mark in for a quick hug.

Trying to hide the blush across his face Mark didn't want to let go of the smaller man but did, "Honestly, I couldn't have done it without you that night. I could never repay you but I thought this may at least begin to show my gratitude."

The two chatted for a bit, it was actually a great conversation and the two felt truly comfortable around each other for the first time in awhile. They even made plans to have dinner together the following night, maybe this friendship thing could work after all.


	17. It's On Like Donkey Kong

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mark and Jack go out for the night- they are both very competitive.

Mark pulled up to Jack's place to pick him up for dinner, they planned on going out for a relaxing evening- just the two of them. Jack came bounding out his front door as soon as Mark arrived seeming to have endless energy tonight.   
"Hey Mark, ready to go have some fun?"

"You just tell me where to go and we're off" Mark was excited and nervous at the same time, he knew his boundaries but was on edge with the thought of crossing them with his true feelings for the Irishman.

"Well I thought we could head to Dave and Busters, we could have some dinner then I could kick your ass in public at some games." Jack flashed him a cheeky grin as he fastened into his seatbelt.

"Oh ho ho... don't be so sure of yourself my friend, I am the skee ball champ around these parts." and off they go.

The ride there was a short one, only about fifteen minutes but Jack bounced and danced in his seat the whole way while singing to whatever came on the radio, much to Mark's amusement. 

"You seem to be in an exceptionally good mood this evening"

Jack looked over to him with a grin on his face, honestly he just wanted to let go and have fun. The stress had been building in the back of his brain and he wanted a mindless release, what better way than arcade games. "Actually, I slept really well last night"

They sat and enjoyed the greasy bar food along with each other's company for a short bit- except when Jack started stealing Mark's fries... he'd let that pass though. Finishing up their idle conversation about a handful of new games coming out they wanted to try, they decided it was time to try their hand in the arcade.

Jack darted to the skee ball for Mark to put his money where his mouth is, "So, mister skee ball champ, care to make this interesting with a little bet?"

"Anyday Jackaboy"

"What do you want to bet then?"

Mark froze, nothing came to mind... well one thing did, 'a kiss, a kiss, a kiss'. The thought kept repeating in his mind until he finally spit it out, "A beer, how about the looser buys the next round" he was kicking himself.

The competition was fierce, at first, then Mark wound up wiping the floor with him in the end. Mark has a serious competitive streak that Jack just could not match so he admitted defeat after a best three out of five set. 

They enjoyed several more games being evenly matched along the way until Jack came across Dance Dance Revolution which he insisted they play.

"I don't know about this, dancing isn't really my thing" Mark was reluctant to say the least, he knew good and well he was not the most coordinated person in the world. 

"Oh come on, after that skee ball disaster, you owe me this." Jack on the other hand was spry and bouncy and full of energy tonight. "unless you're chicken..."

"It's on like Donkey Kong, and how about another bet then." Mark didn't step away from a good challenge easily.

"Fine then, if I win then you have to show me some moves for real at the dance club upstairs."

"Bring it green bean"

There was no competition, Mark never had a chance and he knew it but that didn't stop him from trying. The two wound up in the club shortly after the embarrassing display Mark put on so he could uphold his end of the bet. 

"How about that drink first" Mark led them over to the bar as he eyed the rather busy dance floor flashing to the rythm of the music. 

Jack ordered each of them a beer and turned his gazes to the dance floor, it had been so long since he'd been dancing last. It was something a few years ago he'd go and do with his ex almost every weekend, he was craving the freedom he felt when he let loose and gave his body to the music. This wasn't about him though, this was about embarrassing Mark, then a song came on that caught Jack's attention. 'Sex' by Cheat Codes started pumping through the speakers, laced with a nice heavy bass, he turned to mark with a cheeky grin and gestured towards the dance floor.

"This is the one, go to it."

Mark sighed in defeat and made his way to the outskirts of the floor closest to the bar so Jack could have a good view. His movements were severely uncoordinated and ultimately hilarious to the Irishman, the fellow dancers seemed to move out of Mark's way... mostly because of the erratic movements he was displaying. Halfway through the song, Jack finally decided the punishment was enough and went to rescue Mark. He met him on the dance floor stopping his flailing by placing his hands on the man's hips and swaying along to the music. Once he was sure mark had the rhythm he took a small step back and danced with him through the rest of the song, laughing and letting go.

Once the song ended, a slower song came on immediately after, another one that Jack loved- Rhianna Sex With Me. He smiled, closing he eyes and running his fingers through his hair, letting the bass wash over him. Swaying his hips slowly to the song and singing the lyrics, he felt like he was the only one on the dance floor. Mark stood in awe of the display in front of him, how the fuck could he resist this. I mean, come on, Jack was practically oozing sex as he ran his hands down his body, head back, eyes shut, colored lights flashing, swaying to the song.

Mark bit the bullet and took a step forward into Jack's personal bubble he was currently in, placing his hands on the smaller man's hips and leaning in close to his ear, just breathing. Oh, Jack noticed. His breathing sped up as he felt Mark's body against his, their faces close enough to kiss but merely ghosting their lips together not quite touching. This was a definite step out of the friendzone but Jack didn't feel uncomfortable with it.

Jack's hands went to Mark's chest, resting and feeling his heart beat through his shirt. They were so close but neither willing to take the plunge as they shared their body heat and soft touches. Finally as the song started to come to an end, Jack whispered something almost in audible against Mark's lips.

"Take me home."

Their eyes met and Mark slowly shook his head, taking a step back. He was confused though, that could mean one of two things. Jack was uncomfortable with the intimate nature of their current situation and wanted Mark to drop him off at home and end the night immediately, or... Mark shook his head. There was no way Jack was interested in the other option, right? I mean, they've had an amazing time together, they're getting along great, they have so much in common and the attraction between the two in undeniable.

The two made it to Mark's car in silence, much like the ride back to Jack's place. The air was uncomfortable and full of questions that neither dared ask, but all too soon they pulled up in front of his house. Mark put the car in park and sat for a moment in silence before he spoke up.

"I... umm, I had a really good time tonight." His words were soft over the quiet humm of the engine still running.

"Me too" Jack thought for a minute staring at his lap as he played with his fingers, "Does that mean you're not coming in?"

Mark looked over to him, he could see the dashboard lights reflected in his bright eyes even though his gaze was still in his lap. "Wha.. I mean, you said you wanted to go home, I thought maybe you were..."

Jack's voice was soft, "Actually, I asked you to take me home, that didn't mean I wanted the night to end. If you don't want to come in then that's fine, I just... I thought that maybe..."

Mark turned off the car.

Leading the way to the door, Mark followed him closely still not one hundred percent sure him and Jack were on the same page. Once inside the dark entry way, Jack made it very clear that they were. He stopped Mark right inside the door, reaching around him to click the lock then running his hands up the older man's chest pressing his back against the door. Mark raised his brow in surprise as Jack softly started kissing his neck, is this really happening?


	18. A Connection

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mark and Jack have an undeniable connection

Mark stood still not really knowing how to react to Jack attacking his neck, once the cold fingers made their way under his shirt though they shocked a moment of clarity into him. He grabbed Jack's hands and slowly separated their bodies, looking to Jack in question.

"Jack, what is this?"

Rolling his eyes and letting out a huff, "I'm making out with you, what does it look like?"

"Well, I caught on to that but I just... I thought... I'm really fucking confused right now." Still holding on to Jack's hands, he kissed his knuckles with a pleading look in his eyes. Mark just wanted to understand if this was the start to something more or if it was going to be a one time thing.

"Last time you had no problem fucking me then pretending it didn't happen, I just... I just really need this right now. I figured since obviously there's something between us it wouldn't be that big of a deal if it happened one more time."

Mark rubbed his face in frustration before placing them on Jack's shoulders, "Jack, can we just sit and talk for a second, I don't think you're really understanding my intentions here."

Jack led him to the living room, sitting on the couch Mark could sense his frustration and rather uncomfortable body language. Mark tried to hold his hand again but Jack made sure there was space between them.

"Listen, I've been trying hard to be on my best behavior and respect the whole trying to be friends thing and then you throw this at me." Jack went to talk but Mark held his hand up signaling he wasn't finished with that thought. "It's no secret how I feel about you and initially, when you started kissing me, all I could think about was being with you but it hit me that if this is happening then you deserve for it to be done right. Now, tell me what you want from this."

Running a frustrated hand through his hair, Jack sat back with a huff, "I guess, I guess I just wasn't thinking of the outcome. I've just been so overwhelmed and frustrated and then tonight, you just... when we danced... fuck Mark, I don't know what I want."

"How do you feel about me, like how do I make you feel when we're together?"

"I want to still be mad at you, I wanted to hate you but I don't... I can't. You freaked out when we were together, I get it, but you've managed to show me that side of you that I fell for initially and I'm a fucking sucker for it. I wanted to go out tonight to see what it would be like, I didn't really expect to wind up here, like this."

"Jack, can I kiss you."

He sat for a moment thinking about the question not looking up at Mark, rather drumming his hands on his thighs. Jack stood, straightening his shirt before turning to Mark who sat forward on the couch. Finally making eye contact, Jack stepped in front of Mark, pushed him back into the couch and straddled his lap. The two shared a soft sweet kiss that lasted a few seconds before separating and resting their foreheads together, Mark's hands on Jack's hips and Jack's hands cupping the side of Mark's face. The kiss told each other a lot without a single word.

The lights were dim, air was still, room was silent and the two shared a few more kisses, each one with a bit more passion than the previous. Mark lifted his hips, pulling Jack down against him making Jack moan against his lip as he felt Mark's growing excitement against his ass. The older man took the opportunity to break the kiss and attack the Irishman's neck with kisses and nibbles eliciting a louder moan this time.

"Fuck I want this Mark, I want you" Jack said between heavy breaths as he started pulling off Mark's shirt. 

Mark grabbed his ass through his black skinny jeans and squeezed hard and he bit down on the juncture between Jack's neck and shoulder. He scooted forward and stood up still grasping onto Jack and heading down the hall.

"Sweetie, steer me in the right direction."

Jack gathered himself and directed Mark to his bedroom, he knew there should be more words between them before this happens but they were lost in the heat of the moment. Mark sat him on the bed, kissing him and unbuttoning his jeans, quickly sliding them off. The smaller man neglected to wear underwear that night.

"Shit Jack, did you plan this or something?" Mark chuckled into his ear.

"Not exactly, I just like the freedom sometimes. Makes me feel sexy."

"Ok, confession time..." Mark pulled back for a moment, "I care about so much Jack and last time we were together I had a hard time accepting the fact that I'd fallen for a man. It doesn't matter now, it's you I want, in any capacity you'll have me."

Jack stared at him with guilt in the back of his mind at the confession, he had a confession as well but it was going to be left unsaid. Right now, Jack just wanted tonight between them so instead he pulled him down into a sweet soft kiss.

"Mark, just take me please"

"Do you ummm, do you have any condoms?"

"Shit" Jack was kicking himself for not planning ahead. "No but I'm on birth control now..."

"Are you ok with this?"

Jack reached down and undid Mark's pants pushing them along with his boxers down then removing his shirt.

Mark leaned back over him and whispered into his ear, "I'll take that as a yes.. how about lube?"

"Second drawer right next to you"

As Jack pulled off his last article of clothing, his shirt, Mark opened the drawer to grab the bottle. He paused and chuckled at the few toys that rolled around as he pulled it open. Grabbing a bright pink dildo and holding it up to inspect it, "Really Jack?"

"Shut up, don't judge me" Jack laughed and covered his face with his hands.

"Oh, I'm not judging" Mark clicked it on to start vibrating and smiled. While Jack still had his face covered in embarrassment Mark pressed it against the smaller man's length earning a surprised high pitched moan. 

Mark took the liberty of lubing up the dildo and teasing it against Jack's entrance, he decided to prep Jack using the vibrations of the toy as he slowly pushed it in little by little. He fucked the smaller man into a mess with the toy as he slowly stroked his hard cock.

"God Mark please... please, I want you in me." Jack could barely put together a sentence at this point.

Grabbing a pillow and lacing it under Jack's hips, Mark crawled on top of the Irishman and kissed his neck and shoulder before sitting back on his knees to line himself up with Jack's heat. He glanced down and ran his hand across the scar on Jack's belly pausing for a brief moment. Jack noticed the action.

"Come here, just hold me for a second Mark. It's ok, I promise." 

The two embraced for a moment before kissing again, Mark barely let go of his tight grip on Jack as he pressed himself into his entrance. They held each other tight as their bodies adjusted to being connected. Neither really expected what came next but they accepted it with open hearts. They didn't have sex, or fuck or anything like that, they made love. 

The pace was almost agonizingly slow but powerful none the less, Mark only let go of Jack to wrap his arm around Jack's leg for a better angle as he slowly bucked his hips against the Irishman. Outside of quiet moans and the sound of skin on skin, the room was quiet and warm from their shared body heat.

Their orgasms came quickly after, Mark did cum first as he held himself deep in Jack's heat riding out his orgasm, then leaning down and taking Jack's cock in his mouth bringing him over the edge. It surprised even Mark how much he enjoyed that keeping in mind that was something he wanted to try again later. 

Laying together wrapped in each other's arms, they caught their breath as they snuggled together. They knew what had happened between them, it was much more than just a night of passion. A true connection was made, a bond that settled against Jack's heart like a lead balloon.

Jack was quiet when he spoke, "I'm leaving next week". The sentence seemed to suck all of the breath out of Mark's lungs as he looked over in surprise.

"When will you be back"

"I won't"


	19. Is This Goodbye

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mark pushes Jack away after he finds out he's leaving.

"What exactly do you mean you're not coming back?" Mark was utterly confused now, he thought there was a true connection with Jack and now this bombshell was dropped on him.

Sitting up and wrapping himself with a blanket, Jack tried to explain, "I accepted a contract in Amsterdam for a series of buildings that'll take me anywhere from eighteen months to three years to complete so I'll be moving there."

"W-when.. were you even planning on telling me or were you just going to disappear?"

"Mark, I told you earlier, I didn't plan on tonight happening and of course I was going to tell you, I just haven't found the right time."

"And you think now is the best time... what the fuck man. Is this some sort of game to you?" Mark jumped out of bed and started grabbing his clothes.

"No, I just..."

"Oh... I get it.... this is payback isn't it. This is to get me back for what happened before, god, I'm so stupid. I should have seen it." Mark was pacing as he got dressed, collecting his stuff. He was hurt, pissed, confused. "Well played Jack, well played... ya got me... ya got me to care, to open up just to rip my fucking heart out and get revenge on me."

Jack was confused, where was this all coming from. There was no ill intentions for tonight, it just sort of happened. Not like he planned on them having this connection and making love. "Mark, what the fuck are you saying... you think I planned this?"

"So is this just something you do... you lure men in, make them fucking question their sexuality, jump right in bed with them and then leave? Well, fuck you." He made it to the door, turned to look at Jack who had followed him, trying to explain, still wrapped in his blanket. Mark was met by glassy bright blue eyes that he had grown to love, he was hurt, he was loosing Jack just like that and felt the need to push him away from his life completely.

"Was the baby even mine or was that a lie too?"

That hurt, a low blow that busted the flood gates wide open. "What the fuck Mark..."

Mark turned facing the door with his hand on the knob, head down, refusing to turn back around when he whispered something under his breath that Jack barely heard. "I fucking loved you and it meant nothing."

With that, he was gone. Out of Jack's life forever

Jack stood staring at the front door shaking and letting the tears freely stream down his face. He knew he should have just told Mark the truth right away but there was nothing he could do about it now. The only thing left was to pack up his belongings and leave LA far behind him. 

He had partnered with his long time friend and colleague Robin to take over the duties overseeing the Law firm building for Wade and Bob so really there was nothing left for him here. The bridges have been burnt and Amsterdam was looking better and better by the second.

Exhausted, Jack made his way upstairs and considered getting right in bed but he felt disgusting so a shower it was. He turned the water extra hot and stepped in scrubbing extra hard. He just couldn't seem to scrub the feeling of Mark's touch from his skin... he honestly didn't want to but he had to.

The days passed quickly, Jack had packed his belongings to be shipped out overseas only being left with a small suitcase for his trip over. He decided to stop by the office one last time to bid farewell to Wade and Bob as well as check in with Robin.

"Hey guys, guess this is it for me." Jack said as he was embraced by the three men. "Obviously I'll be in touch, we can skype and stuff."

Wade chimed in, "Of course, hopefully you can come see the place once it's complete. You'll always have a place to stay here."

"Thanks man, it really means a lot. You guys have been great, I have to thank you for everything and Robin, take care of my building for me." With a wink in his direction and a few more goodbyes and hugs, Jack was off.

He decided to stop one last time at his favorite coffee shop across from the park before heading to the airport since he had a bit of time to spare. He walked in taking a deep breath and enjoying the warm richness filling the air. Walking up to the counter, he ordered his usual to go along with a cookie for the road. It didn't take any time at all before the barista had finished his order calling his name for pickup. 

"Jack, order up" was shouted from behind the counter alerting two sets of eyes. Bright blue ones along with deep brown ones... Mark sank down in his seat by the door hoping to not be noticed by the Irishman. Why of all places and times did Jack show up here, Wade told him he was already headed to the airport.

Picking up his order, Jack was blocked from exiting the door by a tuft of black fur and pink tongue. Somehow Hazel had gotten off her leash and met the not so stranger for a nice scratch behind the ears. "What on Earth, where did you come from girl? Oh shit..." He mumbled the last part to himself.

Mark noticed the commotion at the door and looked down at Chica who seemed to say 'Hey, I'm being good, don't look at me' to him with her expression. Then he looked to see Jack holding onto Hazel's leash looking around for her owner, then their eyes met. Jack had a rather sour expression on his face, Mark's was more of a deer in headlights.

Standing up to collect his dog, Mark kept his head down and met Jack at the door. "Sorry, she got away from me." He grabbed her collar and turned to head back. Jack cleared his throat wanting to say something, Mark turned at the sound yet they just stared at one and other.

There was so much to say between them but neither really had the courage to do so, Jack closed his eyes which were tearing up, shook his head and walked out the door without a word. That was that, he was gone. Mark let out a shaky breath he didn't realize he was holding, dropped his shoulders and headed back to his seat in defeat.

Sometimes things don't work out, fairy tales don't exist, wishes don't come true. Life is all about the decisions you make and if Mark would have made the right choice in the beginning then maybe his story may have had a different ending. This is how it is though, sometimes life sucks and sometimes people leave you and there's nothing you can do to change that outcome.

After he finished his coffee, Mark collected Chica and Hazel for his jog back home just to bury himself in work again. He decided in defeat that this is how it's just going to be for him and that was fine, he guessed.

Jack made it to the airport with plenty of time before he boarded his flight, it was going to be a long one so he sat at a charging station to make sure all of his electronics were fully charged. He pulled up Mark's contact in his phone and hovered his finger over it, finally deciding to press the delete button. His flight was called for boarding so he packed up, headed to the gate and handed over his one way ticket to Amsterdam bidding a final farewell to LA.


	20. Flight 4224

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Problems ground Jack's flight

Once home, Mark knew he shouldn't but he did... he spent the evening with Jack... Jack Daniels. He decided to forgo the glass and drink straight from the bottle. Mark didn't expect to see Jack again, he was kicking himself for stopping for coffee but it happened and he wanted to forget.

Seeing those beautiful blue eyes tearing up again just reopened the wound the smaller man left. Mark thought about those eyes, soft pink lips, his thin muscular frame, curvy hips, beautiful smile and infectious laugh as he took another long swig from the bottle. Trying to shake the thoughts from his mind, he flipped on the TV, not that it mattered but he wanted the background noise as he drank himself into oblivion.

It was a good hour later when he was really feeling it, he stood to go get himself some water but tripped over his shoes, or his own feet, who knows, he wound up on the ground laughing at himself. Quickly coming from his giggle fit, Mark realized how drunk he actually was as he remained laying on the ground staring at the ceiling. The house was so lonely and quiet outside of the TV in the background. 

That's when something caught his attention, he wasn't sure if he was just too drunk to understand or if something really happened but there was a special report on instead of what he was watching.

"Once again, LAX has been shut down, no flights coming or going at the moment until it is confirmed the shooter has been captured. Currently there are four shot and one confirmed dead- more on this story will be coming soon." The reporter sounded grim, Mark sat up and quickly changed to other local stations to see them reporting the same thing. A knot formed in the pit of his stomach... something was wrong.

Jack handed over his boarding pass bidding a final farewell to LA ready to head to Amsterdam, the lady smiled, scanned his ticket and let him board. He quickly made his was down the long hall to enter the plane and find his seat. Jack stood patiently waiting for the people in front of him to place their overhead luggage and take their seats, he was one of the last to board so it was a few minute wait. The gentleman behind him was noticeably impatient as he tapped his foot, huffed aloud and kept quickly scanning his eyes around the plane. 

Finally it was Jack's turn to place his bag in the overhead compartment, as he turned, he felt a hand grasp around his neck and something push into his temple. The door to the plane slammed shut as people started to scream, "Everyone shut up and sit down, do as I say and I won't spatter his brains all over the isle."

Jack was being pulled back toward the front of the plane by his captor, it quickly hit him that the plane was being hijacked and he was being held captive by the man that was standing nervously behind him. A man that was working with his captor started banging on the door to the cockpit demanding the pilot give up control of the plane before it took off. They threatened again with shooting just before the door opened and the pilot and co pilot came out with their hands up. 

It now seemed there were three men all together that were armed and trying to take over the flight, Jack's breathing sped up and tears came to his eyes. He was truly in no position to be a hero as the gun remained pressed to his temple. Watching helplessly as one of the other men took another captive, a young brunette woman who screamed as she was grabbed out of her seat, he eyes the third man who sat in the pilot's seat taking the control to the overhead speaker. 

"Welcome passengers to your new flight to Moscow, this is your captain speaking, please remain in your seats and no one will get hurt. We are in charge now and if someone tries to be a hero, your in flight show will consist of lots of blood so I suggest you get comfortable now." as the man with the thick accent was speaking and powering up the plane, the other two took their hostages, one to the front of the plane and the other to the back.

Mark's phone started ringing, at first he was so fixated on the TV report that it didn't register to his clouded mind but he finally realized and answered. His drunken slurred hello was barely mumbled before Wade started frantically talking. 

"Mark, dude, have you been watching the new... this is crazy what's going on at LAX...Mark?" Wade waited on a response from his friend before he heard him mumbling something almost incoherent. "Mark, are... are you drunk?"

"Wha.. no..no, yes."

"Shit, I'm coming over." before Mark could respond Wade hung up and headed over to his house.

Within about twenty minutes, there was a knock on the door. Mark made his way over, mostly empty bottle in his hand as he swung the door open. Wade looked at him with a sour expression on his face as he reached down and ripped the bottle from Mark's hand. 

"Damn it man, get your shit together. How much have you been drinking... this whole bottle?"

Mark stumbled back to the couch with Wade following, they both sat as Wade grabbed the remote to turn up the TV who were broadcasting live from the airport. The two watched as the vague reports came in, seems like the situation was under control at this point but they were still releasing very limited information. 

Wade made some coffee to help sober Mark up a bit, the man was a drunken emotional wreck right now, "What i-if... what if it was Jack's plane.... what if the last time I- I saw him was the last time..." he was crying at this point, the alcohol had taken over his emotions.

"Seriously Mark, what are the chances... I'm sure his plane took of just fine before anything happened."

"but Wade... I love him... what if... what if..." he placed his head in his hands grasping at his hair.

Handing Mark a coffee and rubbing his back to comfort him, Wade tried to reassure him before the reporter came back on air with more information. 

"Seems the flight affected was international flight 4224 headed from LA to Amsterdam. The passengers are currently being escorted out now for questioning with an exception of the four victims who are being rushed to the hospital. One of them confirmed dead." The reporter continued with the story, Mark didn't realize at this point that he was standing practically up against the TV clinging to the coffee mug with all his might.

"Oh shit Mark..." Wade was speechless, he didn't even know where to start. The view on the TV showed an aerial shot of the passengers being escorted from the plane, Mark concentrated hard on the screen looking for a familiar figure... he never saw it.

Mark was swaying as he stood, quickly starting to sober up as he watched the report. "I need to know... Wade, can.. can you call him."

Wade hesitated before pulling out his phone, he knew with everything going on it would be impossible to get in contact with Jack but he tried anyway. It went straight to voicemail.

As Jack's captor headed to the back of the plane, one of the two plain clothed air marshals on board shifted in his seat trying to not bring attention to himself. He knew he needed to take action soon before they took off from the ground. Suddenly there was commotion at the front of the plane, the female air marshal at the front of the plane made a move. She slammed the door to the cockpit locking one of the suspects in as two of the stewardesses leaned against the door to hold it shut. The air marshal quickly turned and pointed her gun at the suspect at the front of the plane demanding them to drop their weapon.

Jack's captor heard the commotion, tightening his grip around Jack's throat he made his way back to the front of the plane shouting for order again. There was a shot, then another, then several more. The first shot came from the marshal in the front, flawlessly aiming and taking out the first suspect but getting shot in return fire. The second shot came from behind Jack's captor, hitting him in the upper right part of his back, the bullet sliced through his body and lodged into Jack's shoulder. This caused the man to release Jack as he fell forward onto him, the last thing Jack recalled was his temple being smashed into the arm rest of one of the seats then nothing.


	21. Hospital

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They find out what happened to Jack who is now in the hospital

Mark sat by the TV huddled on the floor with Hazel and Chica by his side, the girls could sense his distress. Between the effects of the alcohol in his system and the shock of the events taking place, Mark was a frozen mess. Wade, on the other hand, went into investigator mode as he systematically called each hospital in LA to find Jack. 

He went down the list one by one asking if they had a Sean Mcloughlin registered, each of them said no. "I don't know Mark, maybe he wasn't involved... maybe he's just being questioned or something right now." 

Laying back on the floor, "Have you tried his friend Felix, maybe he's heard from him." Mark was racking his brain as to how to find Jack, not that he'd want to talk to Mark after what happened.

Wade started scrolling through his phone, "I think I have his number somewhere in here.... oh, yeah he texted me a while back, here it is." He dialed Felix's number, getting an answer right away.

"Hello?" Felix sounded rather frantic.

"Oh, hey Felix, it's Wade... I'm ummm... have you heard from Jack?"

"Shit, no but I just got a call from the hospital and I'm about to head up there. Wade, it's not good man."

"Was he caught up in the thing at the airport" Wade started to get a little more panicked.

"Yeah... fuck, I don't know what I'm walking into here. All I know is that he's injured... listen, I have to run. I need to be there for him." Felix sounded like he was crying at this point, so uncertain as to what had happened to his friend.

"Can you just let me know where he is, I'm really worried too."

Felix passed on the information much to Wade and Mark's relief... well, mostly. They still didn't know what kind of condition Jack was actually in.

"Mark, how are you feeling, are you really in any condition to do this?" Wade kept an eye on Mark as he rushed around finding his shoes to head to the hospital. Mark looked up at Wade with sheer determination in his eyes, there was no keeping this man from the hospital at the moment. With that thought they headed off.

Once the two men arrived, they met Felix in the lobby, he let them know that Jack was still in surgery to remove the bullet from his shoulder. Other than that, he was in a coma from the blow he took to the head and also suffered from a fractured orbital socket. Mark broke down almost hysterically.

Felix pulled Wade aside to have a word with him, "Listen, I know how Mark feels about Jack and I know they aren't on the best terms. I'm not sure if Jack's going to want to see him when he wakes up."

"You know that's going to tear Mark apart, look at him. Not only is he love sick but he's a mess. First Jack leaves without telling him then this..." Wade knows if he tells Mark he has to leave then the man would loose his shit.

Glancing over to Mark with his head buried in his hands, Felix shook his head, "Fine, just know I'm against him being here after what Jack told me before he left."

The nurse spoke up, "Visitors for Mr. Sean Mcloughlin please come to the desk."

Mark immediately shot up and made his way to the desk, "How is he, is he ok?"

With a concerned look, the nurse just sighed, "He's recovering right now but you can come back, the doctor will fill you in on the rest." She led the three men back to the room that held Jack.

If Mark wasn't a mess then he was now, actually all three men really were surprised with how Jack looked. He was all bandaged up over his right shoulder and head covering his eye. There was obvious bruising on his face from the impact. He was hooked up to all kinds of monitors and had a breathing tube down his throat, obviously not breathing on his own at this point.

The nurse spoke softly, "please have a seat and the doctor will be right with you"

Pulling his chair up to the left side of Jack's bed, Mark ignored the other two men, he grasped Jack's hand, kissing it softly as he cried and whispered things that no one could hear but him. Wade and Felix eyed each other as they sat at the table across the room not interrupting the scene taking place before them. 

After about fifteen minutes of near silence, the doctor walked in flipping through a chart and shutting the door behind him. "I'm assuming you are all friends and family of Mr. Mcloughlin"

Felix spoke up first, "We're all friends"

The doctor nodded, "Right then, I'm Dr. Ottman and I'm going to be overseeing Sean's case. As you probably know, Sean was involved in an incident at the airport today in which he suffered several injuries. First off, he did suffer a gun shot to the right shoulder, lodging the bullet into the bone right by his rotator cuff. We did successfully remove the bullet but there will be lasting damage to the shoulder that will require physical therapy."

The men all nodded, Mark, still holding Jack's hand.

"Next, he did receive quite a blow to the side of his head causing bruising upon impact along with a fractured orbital socket on the right side. Because of the impact, he does have a concussion and unfortunately has not regained consciousness since arrival. Now, because of this, Sean will remain on the respirator until we see a turn around. I know it's a lot to take in but do any of you have questions at this time?" Dr. Ottman looked around the room landing his eyes on the man next to Jack's side.

Mark spoke up, "Is... is he expected to make a recovery or... like, is there brain activity and everything." his voice broke as he was speaking, just the thought of loosing Jack was unbearable to him.

"It's hard to say at the moment, his brain activity seems just fine from the tests we've been able to run so far but really it's just going to be a waiting game to see if he regains consciousness." Not really giving them much hope to hang onto, the doctor answered their questions then left them alone with the promise to check back in shortly.

Staring at the artificial rise and fall of Jack's chest, Mark felt totally helpless. All he could think of was their last interaction and the things that were left unsaid... and worse, the things he did say. He had no clue now if he would ever get to say the things he wanted to Jack or if he was going to loose him knowing the man he loved hated him.

Wade was the first to leave and since Mark rode with him he asked if he was ready to leave, Mark couldn't even imagine leaving Jack laying in the bed alone. Yeah, Jack probably didn't want to see him but damn it, Mark loved this man and couldn't bring himself to let go of his hand. Felix offered to take him home since he was going to stay a bit longer.

"Mark, Jack talked to me quite a bit about what happened between you two and I have to let you know that he was terribly hurt. I know this isn't really the ideal time to tell you but if he wakes up and you're here, I'm not too sure how he'd react." Felix was trying to look out for what's best for Jack, even if it hurt Mark's feelings.

With a sigh and several tears, Mark spoke just above a whisper. "I know Felix, I promise that when he wakes up, I won't be here. Just... just please don't make me leave him like this. I love him and I just can't stand the idea of him laying here alone."

"Fine... I understand man and if it were up to me there wouldn't be an issue but just, with everything he's been through- make sure yours isn't the first face he sees, ok. I don't think he can take that kind of heartbreak again." With that, Felix left Mark there with Jack alone.

The lights were dimmed and it was late. Mark's already had a hell of a day and is exhausted but refused to leave Jack's side.

"My sweet Jack, please wake up... please be alright. I can't stand the thought of loosing you like this, even if you never want to see me again, I just need to know that you make it through this. With everything you've been through and everything I've put you through- you're the strongest person I know." Mark still hasn't let go of Jack's hand for even a second, he rested his head on the railing attached to the side of the bed, kissing the smaller man's hand and whispering to him in the dark.

"I love you so much, I love you enough to let you go-as long as you just wake up. God, I've been so horrible to you, I've said so many things I regret to push you away and if I could just take it all back I would. Please be ok, please wake up from this. You deserve so many good things in life, you're truly the sweetest, most genuine person I've ever had in my life. I never deserved you... I'm such a horrible person." Mark couldn't stop crying and beating himself up but still he refused to leave Jack's side no matter how long it takes.


	22. Holding His Hand

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mark refuses to leave Jack's side so as long as he was able to spend time with Jack he was going to.

Over the next several days Mark never left Jack's side, he passed his keys to Wade asking for him to take care of Chica and Hazel for him. The girls were happy to spend time with Molly since they were very familiar with her as their vet. Yes, Mark missed them like crazy and craved taking them to the park for playtime but he couldn't imagine letting go of Jack's hand. Even though he knew Jack probably wouldn't want him there by his side, Mark wanted to take advantage of being there to care for Jack- even if it was just holding his hand and talking to him.

Jack still hadn't shown any signs of consciousness but his vitals were strong so there was still hope for him pulling through. To pass the time, Mark decided to read to Jack throughout the day. Mark loved space so he chose a book by Neil Degrasse Tyson titled Space Chronicles to read, he came to one part that really resonated with him.

"The four most common chemically active elements in the universe- hydrogen, oxygen, carbon and nitrogen- are the four most common elements of life on Earth. We are not simply in the universe. The universe is in us" As he read the lines from his book, he paused thinking of the implications of the statement. 

"Jack, that couldn't be more true when I look at you. You have the ocean in your eyes, stars in your smile and the sunshine in your laughter. I never saw or felt that before I met you- you are the essence of the universe to me... what I wouldn't give to experience that again." He grasped and squeezed Jack's hand before pulling it to his lips to press kissed against his cold skin. "Please share that beauty with the world again and wake up. I promise, even if you refuse to see me or talk to me again, I'll forever love you."

Mark sat for a few minutes just studying Jack's face, the bruises have barely started to fade but the man was beautiful regardless. He ran his hand up and down the soft skin of Jack's forearm longing for his touch once more, even if it was in vane. The nurse came in to check on Jack's vitals, chit chatting with Mark as usual over the past few days. She injected his medications, drew blood for samples and testing and recorded his stats before excusing herself once more.

Mark resumed his reading to Jack before the nurse stopped back in with a coffee for Mark, "I noticed you have barely left his side since you've been here. Be sure to take care of yourself too." 

With a gracious smile, Mark took the coffee. "Thanks, but there'll be plenty of time for it later. Right now, I think my attention is better used here. I do appreciate the coffee." He raised the cup as to cheers her before taking a swig. She smiled back, keeping in mind to check up on him later.

Most of the time passed slowly, reading to Jack helped but the waiting for any sign of movement from the man was excruciating. Mark spent day and night at the hospital for the previous eight days, thankfully receiving changes of clothes and the occasional meal from Wade, Molly and Bob. 

Felix and Marzia visited several times as well, always surprised to see Mark still right there by Jack's side. Each time at the end of their visit, promising Felix that Jack would never know he was there once he woke up. This started to really send a pain to Felix's heart for a few reasons, one not knowing at this point if Jack would ever wake up and two, he started to see the dedication and care Mark was showing to Jack. He knew, though, how the two left things before all of this happened and that Mark's presence would only upset the Irishman so he simply shook his head and thanked Mark for his time.

Sleep came few and far between for Mark at this point but after ten days of barely any sleep it really started to take it's toll. Each time he rested, he made sure to position himself to keep Jack's hand attached to his own just in case. Then it happened, he almost missed it but the slight movement jolted Mark from is sleep. He sat up and stayed steady by Jack's bedside holding his hand and waiting for it to happen again. Then it happened again, a slight grip to his hand... the movement he's been waiting for.

Mark placed a kiss to Jack's forehead, whispered 'I love you so much and I'm truly going to miss you. Go and be well, be happy' against his hair then grabbed his keys and phone before getting the nurse. He patiently waited outside the door for confirmation, then he heard it "Welcome back Sean, please remain calm- you've been in a coma and have a breathing tube in. I'm going to contact the doctor to get it removed right away." The nurse did her best to keep Jack calm as his eyes opened wide and scanned the dimly lit room.

Once Mark heard that Jack was awake, he took a deep breath and left- keeping his promise to Felix. Walking slowly and almost zombie like to the lobby, Mark called Felix to let him know that Jack was awake and that he had left the room before the Irishman became too alert. With a couple of tears shed, Mark made his way to his car that Wade and Molly had graciously dropped off and headed home.

After the doctor ordered for the breathing tube to be removed, Felix and Marzia arrived to visit with Jack and welcome him back. Jack wasn't really able to speak, a temporary side effect of the ventilator that will wear off in time, luckily Felix did enough talking for them both. He caught Jack up on the news of what happened at the airport, anxious to know Jack's side of things which would have to wait until he could talk again. The three also chit chatted about what had happened over the past ten days Jack had been out, excluding anything about Mark's visits. Felix wasn't really sure he would ever mention it, for right now at least, it would remain left unsaid.

"So do you remember anything from when you were out? What's it like?" Marzia asked out of curiosity.

After thinking hard for a few moments, Jack responded in a raspy voice, "I keep having flashes of being in space, like I was floating through the universe just exploring the stars but the entire time I felt calm. Almost like I was holding onto a lifeline that kept me grounded. I'm not really sure what to make of it but I'm hoping I eventually remember more."


	23. Quick note....

Would anyone be into this story if I were to pick it back up again? I know it's been a while but I really am thinking of trying to continue- just wanted to see if there was any interest.


	24. Going Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jack finally gets released from the hospital

Two whole weeks have passed... two whole weeks of that damned physical therapy. Jack realized it was something he needed in order to get his shoulder back into shape but the prospect of 3-6 months of this made his skin crawl. Not that it was terrible, his therapist was nice enough and not to mention easy on the eyes. Jack seemed to shake that thought off immediately, eye candy was one thing but considering dating right now was another story. 

This particular session with Dr. Luke McHottie (as Jack has dubbed him) was a particularly good one considering he was being released from the hospital. Luke had come to Jack's hospital room for his normal appointment and also to break the news.

"So looks like progress has been great so far and the shoulder is right on track for a perfect recovery- as long as we keep up the therapy sessions and you promise not to strain yourself. I guess that means you can go home and we can resume our sessions at my office, let's say, three times a week. Sound good?"

Jack perked right up with the thought of getting to leave the hospital, "Sounds great, and at least I still get to see my favorite doctor." he said with a bright smile.

Luke chuckled at the Irishman and jotted down a few notes, "I'll make up a schedule and sign your release papers, do you need any help packing up your things before leaving?"

Glancing around, Jack noted there were only a few things in the room and decided to have Felix help when he got there. "I think I can handle it, thanks though."

With that, Luke left Jack to make his calls to arrange a ride home. Felix had opened his home to Jack since he had already arranged for moving to Amsterdam... that didn't really work out. Instead of being homeless, he chose to take Felix up on his offer until he decides on his next step. 

"Hey Fe, guess who's a free man. Wanna come and rescue me from this place?" 

Felix was almost as excited as Jack, the two had been best friends for years and now they would be living together! Marzia had already fixed the guest room up and Felix had a lineup of games for them to play together. "Yesss, finally my green bean is coming home. I'll be right there to help you pack up."

Shaking his head at his friend, Jack thanked him and told him to "hurry the fuck up".

The nurse had just left after removing the IV from Jack's hand and reviewing the release papers as Luke popped his head back in for one final time.

"So here's your schedule, you won't see me again until Monday so take it easy this weekend-no funny business. Oh, and if you need me, here's my office number and my cell is on the back- ya know, just in case." Luke said with a wink. 

Yeah the two had flirted but there was no intention on Jack's part to call the therapist for personal reasons but he politely took the card and pocketed it. "Thanks, I can't promise I'll stay out of trouble but I'll do my best."

There was a knock at the door as Felix came busting in, "Hope I'm not interrupting anything here" he said with a cheeky smile on his face.

Luke smiled again, "Nah, I think Jack is all ready to go, take care of him" He turned to Jack, "I'll see you next week" and he exited with a small wave.

Felix glanced back and forth between the therapist and Jack before the door shut, "What was that all about?"

"Nothing but a bit of harmless flirting Felix, now help me pack up and get out of here. I need some fresh air" Jack said as he started to wander around the room collecting his few belongings that were there. He packed up his laptop as Felix grabbed his house slippers and house coat. 

Glancing at the desk, Jack checked the drawer for good measure making sure to leave nothing behind, "Hey Fe, is this yours?"

He turned around to Felix holding a book, Felix immediately recognized it and claimed it as his own. He never told Jack about Mark being there, spending every moment holding his hand, reading to him, talking to him and making sure he was never alone. If Jack found out the book was Mark's then Felix feared Jack would be upset to know he was there so some things were better left unsaid.

"Y-yeah, that's totally mine"

Jack eyed the book and flipped through a few pages, "Really, Space Chronicles? When were you ever into space stuff?"

Felix grabbed the book from Jack's hands before the Irishman put the pieces together, "Uhhh, since always man... I totally dig this stuff."

Jack narrowed his eyes at Felix but realized he really had no reason to not believe him, "Do you mind if I borrow it, I'm going to have a lot of spare time on my hands and could use a distraction?"

"Sure, have at it I guess..." Really, what was the likelihood Jack would find out it belonged to Mark and not him.

With that, Jack tucked the book under his good arm and slung the lighter of the two bags over his shoulder. Since his arm was going to be in a sling for a few more weeks, he had no choice but to let Felix carry the other. The ride home was quiet outside of the music that played in the car, Jack thumbed through the book looking at a few earmarked pages. Something about the words resonated with him but he really couldn't put a finger on it yet. 

Lost in thought, Jack didn't realize that they had already made it to Felix's house. He flipped the book shut and decided he would read it at a later time, for now, he just wanted to be outside for a change. 

After the bags were in the spare room and Jack got situated, he decided to go out for a walk to help clear his mind. 

"I'm going out for a quick walk, wanna come with?" He shouted to Felix in the kitchen.

"Nah, I'm going to make us some dinner and wait for Marzia to get here but knock yourself out. Just don't be gone too long I should have dinner ready soon."

With that, Jack pocketed his phone, grabbed the book and was off.


	25. Like a ton of bricks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mark gets interviewed and Jack gets hit with reality

Life hit Mark hard, just as he knew it would. Sitting there with Jack, he knew it would once the Irishman woke up but he didn't think it would be quite so lonely. Needless to say Mark found a distraction from his loneliness in working- not at the shelter where he knew he'd be happy but behind a desk at his company.

For some reason he felt like this was his punishment, solitude at the top of a pretty major corporation. Not the hands on nitty gritty work he loved but noting but paperwork, numbers, meetings... all the things he hates about the corporate world.

He sighed as he flipped through a few more pieces of mail that had recently been delivered to his office when one in particular caught his eye. A large manila envelope marked confidential from his competitor Ace Pet Supplies. Mark held his breath as he opened and flipped through the contents, this is exactly the distraction he was hoping for to take his mind off his personal life. An acquisition, a rather large acquisition that would expand his Little Dumpling Co. to become the third largest pet supply company world wide.

The deal needed to be made within the next month so needless to say, Mark worked day and night on making the acquisition a success. Over the next few weeks, word got out to the local news of the deal and the large expansion being made to Little Dumpling Co. adding over three hundred jobs to the area. 

There were constant calls to Mark's office for interviews from tv stations, radio shows and news papers. He only took on a few, honestly he really didn't feel like talking to anyone and had become somewhat of a hermit crab- his office being his shell to hide in. Alas, the demand for interviews drove him out to a few photo shoots and dinner meetings.

"So Mr. Fischbach, with all of your recent success how do you find time for a personal life?" The young redheaded reporter questioned.

Mark just chuckled rather sarcastically, "First, please call me Mark and honestly I have no personal life to speak of. I guess I'm just too consumed in my work to really worry with it." Deep down he longed to just sit in the park under the flowering tree and chat with Jack for hours on end but since he couldn't have that, then burying himself in work would have to do.

The reporter flashed her bright smile as she clicked her tongue, "You are such a charmer, are you sure there's no lucky lady waiting in the wings we don't know about?"

"Oh, I'm positive. I've never been particularly good with relationships and if you don't mind I'd just like to talk about the company for now." Mark didn't want to seem too harsh but he also didn't want to think about what he'd lost either.

The interview left Mark rather frustrated since the reporter seemed more interested in his love life than anything else so he decided to run off some steam. After stopping at home to change and grab his two furry companions, he was off for an early afternoon run. He plugged in his earbuds and zoned out the world around him finding himself running harder and faster than normal. Mark only stopped for Chica and Hazel's sake and to get the two girls a quick rest and drink of water. He found himself wandering over a grassy hill to a familiar tree before plopping down in the grass for a quick rest.

Jack was sitting at the table munching on his cereal when something caught his eye. "Hey Fe, can you pass me that section of the paper?" 

Felix tossed his the business section, not paying any attention to the leading article and rather large photo gracing the front page. Taking in a quick breath before flipping over the paper, Jack eyed the the image staring back at him which sent a pang of some kind of feeling to his chest. Mark was dressed in a sharp charcoal grey suit with a lighter grey shirt and dark blue tie and that obnoxious smirk on his face that Jack loved to hate... or hated to love- he wasn't sure but it sure stirred up memories of the man. 

Jack read through the article wondering if he should call Mark and congratulate him or if he should just let the whole thing be a memory. He was shocked out of his thoughts by Felix.

"What's got you thinking so hard over there, it's way too early for that level of concentration." Jack just flung the paper over to him letting his graze over the article for himself. Before Felix could respond Jack stated that he was going for a walk to clear his head.

After changing and lacing up his shoes, he grabbed his phone and book and set off with no particular destination in mind- he just needed fresh air. Jack found himself sitting on a park bench still deep in thought about the man in the article. 

Jack thought to himself, 'is Mark really that bad of a guy, was what he said and did that unforgivable?' Mulling over a few points about their relationship, Jack decided to make a list of all the good and bad things about Mark.

'He's an idiot! Selfish, bull headed, short tempered, stubborn... but there are so many good things too. Underneath it all he has a heart of gold, we have so much in common, he's so passionate about animals, rescues, gaming, space.... hold up...' 

Suddenly Jack's mind was reeling with snippets of a deep voice droning on about stars and the universe, were these memories or a dream. He couldn't really differentiate, everything seemed to be blended together but tied by two things. The subject and that voice and only one person Jack knew of could relate to the two- Mark.

Where was this coming from though, he concentrated on remembering. He could hear Mark reciting the words, almost like it was a script or a book... the thought hit him like a ton of bricks as he stared wide eyed at the book in his hands.

Jack mumbled to himself in realization, "He was there."


	26. Beneath the Flowering Tree

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jack returns the book to it's rightful owner

Jack's mind was reeling with this new realization. Why on Earth would Mark just leave a book in his hospital room unless... unless he was there for a length of time reading. He must have been reading aloud if Jack remembered his voice and related the imagery of space, but why.

During their last interaction, Jack clearly remembered Mark walking out on him which seemed pretty final so why visit him in the hospital? Why read to him? Why did Felix lie to him about the book being his?

With a loud huff and his fingers running through his hair in frustration, Jack found himself pacing about. Not realizing the direction he was headed, he happened upon a familiar spot in the park. The flowering tree was quickly loosing all of it's soft pink petals in the wind. He trailed a particular petal with his eyes to the ground where a figure laid on the round with his arms crossed over his face covering his eyes. The man was accompanied with two furry companions that Jack would recognize anywhere.

The three seemed to be resting, possibly after a jog he assumed. Jack made his way over to the figure laying on the ground as quietly as possible hoping not to wake Chica and Hazel from their slumber. Mark must have wore them out for the girls to be sleeping so soundly in the park instead of playing. 

Mark was jolted awake by the feeling of an object being dropped onto his stomach. He looked to see what had landed on him and noticed his missing book. Realizing where he had left the book, his stomach clenched at the thought of who was standing over him. Lo and behold, he trailed up the slender legs to see Jack standing next to him, one hand resting on his hip and the other in a sling.

"Ya missing something?" Jack asked as he cocked his head to the side and stared down at Mark.

Still laying on the ground now with his mouth slightly agape, Mark was rendered speechless at the sight before him. The sun shining just behind Jack's head gave a glow to the man's silhouette, as if he weren't beautiful already. Mark rested up on his elbows and started to speak before getting cut off.

"You were there, Felix told me you weren't but you were. Why the hell were you there reading to me?" Jack asked in a rather frustrated tone.

"I... I just wanted to m-make sure you were ok." Mark stuttered out. He had a bad feeling Jack was going to be upset with him for invading his privacy. "I'm sorry, I was just worried ok"

Jack closed his eyes and shook his head, "Worried, you were worried about me? Where was that worry when you walked out on me? Where was that worry when you broke my heart? Where was that..."

He was cut off as Mark stood to stop the line of questioning seeing clearly that Jack was frustrated and upset. "It was always there, alright. Jack, you have no idea how hard it hit me when you said you were leaving. I wasn't thinking clearly after realizing I was loosing you all over again and I said and did things that I regret. I know it's too late to take them back, the damage is done but I still care about you and that's why I was there."

Mark rubbed his hands over his face, clearly exhausted mentally and physically. "I wanted to be there for you because the thought of you laying in that hospital bed hurt and alone just tore me apart. You don't deserve that. Felix had warned me that you hated me and didn't want to see me so I left as you started to wake up. I guess I just forgot my book there by mistake, so I'm sorry. I'm sorry I made you hate me and I'm sorry I was there since you didn't want me there and I'm sorry you found out, especially this way."

"I don't hate you and I'm not mad you were there... I guess I'm just confused. We've both said and did things we regret but you're right that there's no going back on that now. The past is the past. Really, I came out here to clear my head but wound up with more questions than answers." Jack looked down as Hazel nudged his hand asking for pets.

A crooked smile came to his face as he plopped on the ground. He wrapped his one good arm around the black dog who situated half of her body in his lap. Mark sat in front of him making sure to keep his distance.

Mark gestured to Jack's arm resting in the sling, "How's the shoulder doing?"

"Not too bad, I have physical therapy a few times a week but it's coming along."

Happy that Jack is at least engaging in light conversation with him, Mark continued. "How long do you have to do that for?"

"A few months I guess." Jack continued to scratch Hazel behind the ear as her tongue lolled out.

"Sooo, does that mean you'll be hanging around here for a bit?"

Jack sighed, "Looks that way."

"I take it you have a place to stay?"

"Yeah, I'm shacking up with Felix until I decide what I'm going to do. It's not like flying is on my to do list anytime soon."

Mark shook his head with a slight smile gracing his lips. "Ya know, I still have game night with the guys every so often and the invitation is still open for you to join. I know it may be more difficult with the bum shoulder but we could take it easy on you."

"Take it easy on me? Take it ea.... psssh, I could beat you with one arm tied behind my back, literally." Jack rolled his eyes.

"Care to put your money where your mouth is, I can have the guys over in a couple of hours. I'm sure they could all beat your ass... well except maybe Wade." 

The thought made Jack giggle a little which was music to Mark's ears.

"Fine then, 8pm sharp... prepare for a beat down pretty boy."


	27. Questions before games

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jack has some questions for Felix before game night with the guys

The conversation was brief and the walk back home was swift, Jack knew he needed to confront Felix about the Mark thing but how did he feel about it. Was he upset that his friend was keeping things from him? Was he glad his friend was looking out for him?

Upon entering his temporary residence, Jack saw Felix and Marzia lounging in front of the TV in the front room. He walked over, grabbed the remote and pressed pause on the Netflix show they were watching. Sitting down in front of them on the edge of the coffee table he decided to address the questions he'd been mulling over.

"I need you to tell me everything that happened while I was in the hospital... and please be honest." He looked back and forth between his two friends before Felix sat forward.

"I thought we already went over this, really just what the doctors told you. They assured you'd make a full recovery and only needed therapy for a few..."

Jack cut him off in the middle of repeating what he said before, "That's not what I mean."

Marzia looked over to Felix nudging him, she knew the right thing to do would be to tell Jack about his visitor. Rubbing his hands on his face, Felix tried once again.

"I don't know what more you want but Marzia and I came in to talk to the doctors a few times, Bob and Wade were there a few times and stuff like that." He shrugged off the rest.

"What exactly is stuff like that" Jack knew that Felix was skirting around the subject but he also knew Felix wouldn't just flat out lie to him either.

"Fine, Mark was there. Is that what you're looking for? He came to visit because he was worried-just like the rest of us."

Jack looked to the floor and fumbled his hands together, seemingly deep in thought. "How long was he there?"

"Jack, he came a time or two. Please don't be angry with him." Marzia chimed in softly placing her hand on Jack's knee.

"I don't mean how many times he came and went, how long was he there?"

Felix sighed, looking to Marzia then back to Jack, "He never left your side the entire time."

"I fucking knew it. I knew I remembered his voice and someone constantly holding my hand." Jack looked on the verge of tears, "Why did you lie to me about the book being yours? Why did you try to hide it from me? What do I do? How am I supposed to feel about this? It's not just anyone that'll pause their entire fucking life to sit by your side. Why is he doing this?" He let go of the tears that were more from confusion than sadness as he rambled through the questions plaguing his mind.

Marzia moved over to the coffee table to sit next to him and place he arm around his shoulder. "Oh honey, he cares about you. He's just confused is all." She tried to choose her words carefully as to not rock the already unstable boat. "I know you two have not had the best of ties in the past but look forward, is he someone you want to be there?"

Sitting in silence for a moment Jack shook his head, "I'm... I'm not sure. He's walked out on me in the past and left me alone when I really needed him but I wasn't exactly kind to him in return." 

Jack knew that in a couple of hours he was due back at Mark's house for game night so he decided to push it aside until he saw how the night went.

It was about 7:30 when Wade and Bob arrived to pick him up, he threw on an Overwatch shirt and some black ripped skinny jeans and trotted down stairs to answer the door. He was immediately engulfed in a double hug from the two men at the door. 

"God, it's so good to see you up and going again." Bob smiled down to Jack finally releasing him from the vice grip of a hug. 

"Yeah, we're really missed you being around. Finally we can have a good game night again without Mark moping around." Wade said jokingly as Bob nudged him in the side. "oh... sorry, I mean it's good to have you back."

The three made it to Mark's a bit before eight but everything was set up and ready to go when they got there. Mark was under one of the desks rearranging wires as the men let themselves in. 

"Wow, nice view" Bob joked loudly as they entered the gaming room making Mark jump and hit his head on the desk. Jack couldn't disagree with the statement, instead he just blushed and let out a light chuckle.

"Heh, funny. I'm just getting a few things set before we can start, you guys are welcomed to anything in the fridge in the meantime."

The night was uneventful but fun none the less, they joined their normal teams- Mark and Jack against Wade and Bob. There were high fives and a few quick hugs after victories but really nothing to write home about. Overall, Wade and Bob claimed victory.

Mark chimed in after the latest round, "I'm tired of getting my butt beat by you two meat heads tonight, how about a movie?" He stood stretching his arms over his head. 

Jack gave a quick side eye once Mark's shirt started to ride up a bit which didn't go unnoticed. He could deny his feelings but he surely couldn't deny that Mark had an amazing physique that was hard to not stare at. Jack shook off the image and agreed with the others to a movie and a few drinks before calling it a night.

Wade made some whisky and coke for everyone as they all settled in to the darkened room waiting to start the movie. Mark and Bob took to the couch, Jack grabbed a blanket and pulled over a large bean bag cushion next to the couch leaving Wade with the reclining chair.

The movie was a pretty lame horror flick that Jack had seen a few times so after two or three drinks he was out like a light, covered in the blanket with his head resting on Mark's knee. Mark carded his fingers through the soft fluff and fell asleep himself with a light smile donning his face.


	28. Stay for Breakfast

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mark and Jack get a little alone time before work gets in the way

The next morning Jack was awoke by the sound of his phone dinging signaling a new message, it was from his physical therapist Luke.

'Hey Jack, hope you don't mind me texting you this early but when you get a free moment call me. Noting urgent-just more of a personal question.'

Jack was going to respond until he heard shuffling from the others. Seems they were all stirring for the morning so the message would have to wait until later. 

"Morning, anyone interested in breakfast?" Mark mumbled through a yawn.

"Nah, I have to get home to Molly and I believe Mandy has already texted Bob checking in with him-right Bob" Wade urged Bob to go along with the plan to leave Jack with Mark so they could have some time alone to hopefully talk.

"Oh... oh yeah, she has a honey-do list for me today so it looks like I need to hurry home. Hey Jack, do you think you'd mind staying and helping Mark out with cleaning up from last night?"

He knew something was up so he gave the two men an evil squint of the eyes, but agreed to stay regardless. They hugged it out and parted ways. Mark had already made his way to the kitchen to start making up some batter for waffles. Jack shuffled in beside him to more or less watch.

"Don't ya think your batter is a bit runny there?" Jack teased Mark.

"Absolutely not, my batter is a perfect consistency... see?" He raised up the spoon he was stirring with and let some drop back into the bowl. It was a bit runny but he'd never admit it.

"Whatever you say sweet cheeks. Where do you keep your coffee, I'll start up a pot." Jack rummaged through the cabinets before holding up a bag of grinds in victory. With that brewing he left the kitchen to let Chica and Hazel out to do their business and play in the yard. 

Sitting down in the sun on the back steps, Jack slid his phone out of his pocket to read the message from Luke again. It was really bothering him as to what he would want to talk about personally so he decided to text back.

'I got your message but I'm kind of busy right now, text you when I get home.'

His phone immediately chimed back 'No worries, talk to you soon ;)'

Just as Jack was starting to question the winky face he got distracted by lively music that started playing through the house. He made his way back to the kitchen where Mark was to see the man dancing while pouring batter onto the waffle iron.

Standing next to the island, with his hands on his hips, Jack watched for a moment unsuspecting of what was to come next. Mark quickly made his way over, grabbing Jack's good hand and pulling him towards his chest. One arm wrapped around his waist careful of the arm in the sling and the other still holding out his hand as he swayed the smaller man back and forth with him. 

Jack just smiled and went along with the dance, it was friendly and lively-they were both laughing as Mark spun him then dipped him low. He pulled his back up and then closer, their lips just inches apart and their breath intermingling. Either one of the two could just lean in for the kiss. Jack's eyes followed Marks tongue as it peeked out just a bit to run across his lower lip. Just then the beeper to the waffle iron went off signaling the first waffle done, making the two jump apart as if they were doing something wrong. Mark sighed and backed up slightly- breaking the tension momentarily to attend to breakfast.

He immediately made his way back to Jack to resume the dance before Jack placed his hand on Mark's chest to stop him. "What is this?"

Mark cocked his head to the side, "What, two friends can't dance around the kitchen and make breakfast together?"

"Would you dance like this with Wade... how about Bob? You think you'd spin him around the kitchen?" A crooked smile graced his face with the thought of Mark dipping Bob.

Chuckling, Mark put his hand on Jack's waist but didn't pull him in. "I like to think we have a little different form of friendship than them. Listen, if you're not ok with this then then I'll stop and just..."

"It's not that I have a problem with this, I just don't want you to get the idea that I'm interest in something more with you right now. I really... I mean I don't know what to make of you sometimes." Jack diverted his eyes to the ground, clearly becoming uncomfortable in the situation.

The two decided to talk over breakfast about what happened at the hospital. Mark made it clear that he was interested in dating at some point but didn't want to rush Jack into anything. Jack, on the other hand made it clear to Mark but maybe not himself that he only wanted a friendship. His actual opinion on Mark would be left unsaid and on the back burner.

Mark's phone rang and he excused himself to answer it noting it was a call from work. There was a hiccup in the acquisition paperwork that needed his immediate attention so he was forced to go into the office for the day.

"I'm so sorry to cut this short but I have to get to the office for a few things. I'll drive you home though if you'd like." 

Jack agreed and was dropped back off at Felix's home with a promise to talk later. Walking into the door, Felix eyed Jack up and down waiting for the gossip.

"Damn it Felix nothing happened, we played games with Bob and Wade, watched a movie and fell asleep."

Felix made a face at him, "What about this morning, did Mark give you a protein shake for breakfast?"

"What, dude, first off ew. Second, we ate waffles and he drove me home. End of story." He huffed and made his way to his room for some peace and quiet.

As Jack laid on his bed he couldn't help but to think of the possibility of dating Mark. His thoughts were all over the place when he was brought out of thought by yet another ding from his phone. It was Luke again.

'Sorry to keep texting you but I just wanted to let you know I had appointments pretty much all day so I won't be available to talk until late.'

Jack texted back, 'Is now a good time, I just got home.'

His phone started to ring almost immediately, he was greeted by the smooth sounding voice of his therapist. "You caught me at a great time, my first client won't be here for about a half an hour."

"Hey Luke, soooo... whatcha need?" Jack winced thinking the statement might be a bit harsh... Smooth Jack.

"Well, I was just kind of... I really wanted..." A strong sigh was heard over the phone from Luke. "Look, it's totally against my policy and you can totally say no but I was wondering if you'd like to maybe catch a movie or dinner or something?" Luke bit his lip at the moment of silence from the other end of the line.

"Are you asking me on a date?" Jack was taken off guard by the question.

"Yeah, if that's ok? I understand you're my patient an all but I just.."

"I'd love to" Jack abruptly cut him off. Maybe this could help him get his mind away from a certain dark haired man he'd been pondering.

"Wow, uh, great! I'm free this weekend. How about Saturday evening?" Luke sounded rather excited and relieved at the same time.

Glancing at the calendar on his phone, noting it was only Tuesday, Jack knew he had plenty of time to mentally prepare for the date. "Sounds great, see you tomorrow for therapy"

Mark sat frustrated in his office with his head in his hands, it looked to him like everything would be ok but he didn't expect for work to pull him away for the next three weeks. Why on Earth did he need to go to New York for three weeks just as he was getting Jack to open up to him again? Damn his luck.


	29. I'm leavin on a jet plane...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mark leaves for New York and arrives to a bit of a surprise

Mark hastily threw clothing and other essentials into his luggage then tucked a few suits into a hanging carrier before trudging out the door. Already setting the girls up to stay with Molly and Wade, there wasn't much time to do anything beyond packing. He had a plane to catch this morning, one that would take him far away from home, far away from Jack. Unfortunately for him, duty calls.

Before loading onto the plane, Mark shot a quick text to Jack, 'Sorry I won't be able to hang out for a few weeks, I have to go out of town for business. I'll miss you and try to call buddy.'

Mark reluctantly added the nickname buddy to it to reinforce his understanding of Jack's wishes to 'just be friends' even if it hurt like hell. Yeah, he was head over heels for the Irishman but he needed to respect Jack's request no matter how bad he longed to just touch him, kiss him, make love to....

He was quickly ripped from his thoughts as his flight was called, to which Mark reluctantly grabbed his carryon and trudged to the gate for his extended business trip.

The flight was uneventful to say the least, Mark busied himself with movies and napping so it seemed to fly by (no pun intended). After making his way to the hotel, he found out his was already checked in and handed a key immediately- which seemed strange. 

Swiping his key card in the door and pulling his luggage inside, Mark was shocked by the sight awaiting him. 

"Max? What the hell are you doing here?"

He immediately eyed his ex girlfriend Max with a spread of fruits, snacks and champagne spread out on the small table in the hotel suite he will be staying in for the next three weeks.

"Surprise!" Max grabbed a champagne flute and made her way over to Mark, shoving it into his hand and clinging her glass against his.

"Who do you think arranged your flight, hotel, car, meetings and everything else you'll be enjoying while you're here. Where would you be without an assistant taking care of you while you're taking care of all of your big boy business things?" She rounded behind him, massaging his shoulders.

"Seriously, who ok'd this? You know how we left things."

"Oh, I caught wind of your big acquisition and knew there would be things coming up so I contacted some friends in HR and suggested someone who was familiar with your habits assisted you on your trips. So, here I am." She smiled innocently patting him on the back and sauntering off across the room.

"Whatever, right now I really just want some alone time to get settled in and cleaned up from the flight. So if you'll excuse me..." Mark stood with the door open wanting to usher her out to her own room.

"Mark, your assistant needs to be by your side 24/7 in case something comes up, so I figured it would be best if I stay here with you." She smirked and placed her hand on her hip. "Now, first things first, let's get you out of those uncomfortable clothes and into a nice hot bath- you have a busy day tomorrow big boy." Max crossed the room and went to unbutton Mark's light blue dress shirt.

He batted her hand away, huffing, and rolled his luggage to the bedroom. Lucky for him there were two separate bedrooms in the suite. He sighed when her shut the door behind him and leaned back against the door, "I don't fucking have the time or energy for this."

Hurrying through a shower and dressing in his pajamas, Mark plopped on the bed and ignored his growling stomach to opt for staying in his room. He'd deal with the living situation later, for now he just needed rest and a bit of relaxing time. He grabbed his phone to call and hopefully hear a comforting voice.

One ring, two, three... "Hell-o?" Jack grunted out seeming to be in pain.

"Jack, are you alright?" Mark's voice was full of concern.

On the other end of the line, Jack was currently having his arm stretched by Luke to help improve his range of motion. "What? Oh, no, I'm fine just finishing up a bit of physical therapy."

Mark let out an amused huff, "Gotcha, I thought... never mind. Sorry to interrupt you, I just got settled in here and was frustrated- just needed to vent for a second but if you're busy..."

"No, no it's fine. Luke, uhh, my therapist was just doing some stretches on my arm and shoulder so pretty much I just sit here at his mercy." Jack looked over at Luke flashing him a smile which was returned with a wink.

"Well, I just got checked into my hotel here in New York and was surprised by, guess who, Max- my ex." He huffed out unamused.

Jack tensed and raised his brows, "Oh... you don't say. What did she pick you up at the airport or...." Jack started giggling as Luke toyed his fingers down his arm tickling at his side. "Oh god, Luke stoooop" he said in what Mark deemed 'an adorable tone'.

Luke leaned into Jack a bit, "Sorry honey, you were tensing and I need you relaxed when I touch you." he cooed to the Irishman.

Mark froze... honey? Is there something he wasn't aware of because this sure didn't sound like patient/doctor banter. The realization hit him that maybe Jack didn't want to date him because there was someone else, maybe this Luke guy was the someone else.

He let out a audibly upset sigh, "Listen, I didn't mean to make you tense or anything, really my issues are pretty petty and you sound like you're busy there so I think I'm just going to go get some sleep. I'll talk to you later if I have some free time from meetings and stuff, bye Jack." Without letting Jack retort, Mark ended the call and plopped back into the too soft and too empty bed. Then there was a soft knock at the door as Max made her way into the room with a covered plate containing his dinner. Honestly, if she wasn't here he would have just gone to bed lonely, hungry and upset... at least now he was just upset.


	30. While the cat's away the mouse will play

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jack has a date coming up but he's not so sure about going on it.

The week flew by pretty quickly, Jack sat at his desk mulling over a few proprosed projects deciding on which one to accept. He rested back into his chair with a huff, his eyes flicked over to his phone which rested on the desk next to the monitor. A ding had gone off signaling a new message a few minutes ago but he's avoiding checking the message.

'This can be one of two people, both I'm not sure I can even face right now' he thought to himself. Jack had a hunch it was either Mark or Luke, both probably wanting the same thing. There was that upcoming date on Saturday with Luke which for some reason brought a bit of queasy feeling to his stomach and then there was Mark...

Jack mumbled to himself, "What the fuck am I going to do about that man?" Mark had been plaguing his mind ever since he left town. He couldn't believe he was admitting this to himself but he missed that bastard, especially after not hearing from him the past few days. Jack reached out to grab his phone, let out a gust of breath and flipped it over...

'Can't wait to see you tomorrow, wear something comfortable since we're probably going to be outside most of the day. Smooches!'

The text was from Luke, they were going to grab a bite to eat at a cafe and then go for a hike for their date tomorrow. Jack couldn't help but feel a hint of disappointment hit him when it wasn't Mark but Luke was a great guy and very easy on the eyes. He sat and thought about the two men for a few moments, mindlessly rubbing his hand across the scar on his lower belly. 

Him and Mark had history and damn was that man gorgeous, chestnut eyes that lit up whenever they met his and the softest black hair you could ever imagine running your fingers through. He was charming, when he wasn't an ass... they had so much in common and it was effortless for Jack to have a wonderful time with him.

Then there was Luke, if Jack had to guess he would say he was Indian, maybe Middle Eastern but with no accent. It seemed pretty obvious he had grown up in the states. Luke was polite and caring and never hesitated to flatter Jack making him blush like mad. His tan skin looked so soft and fingers that left a tingle when they touched him, not to mention his eyes, light brown and almost golden in the sunlight. Hair was dark and thick like Mark's but not nearly as soft, he kept it just above shoulder length and pulled back in a half ponytail.

Jack was fucked, and not in a good way. He really was attracted to both of them- probably more so to Mark, he figured it was because of their history together but he wanted to give Luke a chance.

He shot a quick text back to Luke letting him know he was looking forward to the date before wondering if he should text Mark or not. Last they spoke, Mark abruptly ended the conversation after talking about Max staying with him in New York. Jack chuckled to himself, not from humor "Huh, wonder how that's going"

"Wonder how what's going?" Felix poked his head in the door to Jack's room and over heard his thought that he mumbled out loud. May as well tell him.

Turning in he desk chair to face Felix, Jack sat forward and toyed with his fingers. "I spoke with Mark a few days ago and he told me his ex Max was staying with him and acting as an 'assistant' but he didn't seem too happy about it. He ended our call pretty quickly and I haven't heard from his since. I don't know man, I know it's none of my business but I just... I just can't help but feel a little jealous that something is going on."

Felix cocked his head to the side, "Saying the one with a hot date tomorrow."

Jack put up his hands defensively, "I know, I know. It's just... damn it Fe, I don't know. Why am I obsessing over this, it's not like we're dating or even going to be dating. I told him that all I wanted was a friendship... shit... Did, did I fuck up?"

"You tell me, what do you want from him?"

"I just... I really want to be friends but I can't ignore that nagging feeling that I'm missing out on someone I need in my life as more."

Taking another step into the room to sit on the edge of Jack's bed, Felix tried to reason with him, "Do you think you need him because you want someone to fill that void or do you specifically only want Mark to fill it?"

Jack rolled his head back in frustration and groaned, "I wish I knew."

"Then go on this date with the hunky doctor and see how you feel at the end, hell since Mark is away go on a few dates. If when Mark returns you want nothing more than to be with him then you have your answer." 

Felix made a good point but only with a few loopholes that Jack was quick to point out. "Isn't that just using Luke? And what if there is something between Mark and Max again, then I'd be too late and miss my chance with him."

"I don't know what else to tell you man, I can't make this decision for you but you're a big boy and I'm sure you'll figure it out. For right now, I smell something delicious coming from downstairs so I'm going to see what my lovely girlfriend has brewing in the kitchen." He made his way out of the room leaving Jack as lost as ever. Jack needed to decide and decide quick since his date with Luke was tomorrow.

Jack turned back to his phone and started to type out a message, 'Hey man, hope all is well in the big apple. I was just taking a break from work and thought I'd check in with you. Text me back when you have a few to chat.'

Mark never heard his phone buzz, he was busy listening to a presentation while his phone was being handled by Max. She quickly checked the device in her hands, noting the message and the sender and promptly deleted the distraction from existence. 

After the meeting they both sat in the back of a black sedan as it made it's way back to the hotel. "Any calls or messages for me during the meeting?" Mark asked as he shed his jacket.

"Your mom called twice, then a message from the office manager Tyler and one from that vet Molly but really nothing else of importance." Max rattled off as she checked over her shiny red nails making sure there were no chips.

At the hotel, Mark settled in for the evening after changing into a tank top and gym shorts. Max had ordered in Chinese food for dinner so he knew he had a bit before it arrived. He mulled over whether to call Jack or not but decided to call Molly and check up on the puppers.

"Hey Molls, how are my girls doing?"

"They're great, they just love going to work with me too. Hazel is now greeting the mailman at the door and bringing the envelopes directly to me, she is just the smartest little girl... aren't you." He could hear Molly fussing over the dogs in the background. "So how's the trip, are you getting to sight see at all or is it all just business?"

Mark sighed as he plopped down into his bed. "Nothing but work, work, work. Max is keeping my schedule full while I'm here."

Molly perked up in surprise when she heard Max's name, "Oh, Max is there with you... didn't you two break up? Weren't you like seeing Jack or something?"

His heart sank a little, "Yes we did break up and unfortunately no Jack and I aren't dating, I'm doomed to the single life. Max is just here as my assistant." Just then Max chose to peek her head into his room, it's like she knows when he's talking about her or something.

"Mark my darling, dinner is here" she made sure to say it loud so the person on the other end of the phone could hear the sentiment clearly.

"Ok then... I'll let you get back to... that." Molly was confused about what was or was not going on but she knew it wasn't really her business. 

Mark abruptly stopped her from hanging up, he wanted to ask about Jack without making it obvious. "So how's everyone there doing? Wade, Bob, Jack..."

"Everyone's fine, Wade and Bob are busy with work, and I think Jack is picking up a new project in town. Plus I think he's got a hot date tomorrow..." she abruptly slapped her hand over her mouth, she couldn't believe she let that slip. "Shoot, forget I said that. It's not my place to talk about it... sorry"

Everyone knew how Mark fawned over Jack and letting that slip probably crushed the poor man and Molly knew it. "Listen, go eat dinner and don't worry about us here. If anything comes up I'll call."

Mark didn't say another word, he just ended the call devastated. Jack had moved on...


	31. Jack has his cake and eats it too

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jack and Luke hit it off well for the first few dates. Then there's a call between Mark and Jack- unfortunately it's not much of a conversation.

Jack wouldn't lie if you asked him if he was nervous, his palms sweat, he paced the floor and checked the mirror about 20 times before there was a knock on the door. Right on time, Luke had arrived to pick Jack up for their date. He escorted Jack to the car, opened the door for him before rounding to the drivers side. Such a gentleman.

Glancing to the back seat, Jack noticed a basket and blanket, "You packed a picnic? I thought we were going to a cafe."

"Oh, yeah. I hope you don't mind but there's an awesome band playing at the amphitheater in the park so I threw together lunch." Luke flashed a shy smile hoping Jack was ok with the changes to the plan.

"That sounds great, what kind of music do they play?"

"Really they're a mixed bag, mostly nineties rock covers but this time only slow songs. It's kind of a love fest type deal I guess."

The two made small talk until they got to the park and then made their way to set up camp and wait for the band to start. Luke unpacked the meal and drinks for him and Jack to munch on as the crowd filled in a bit. Once the band opened with Foo Fighters Everlong, Jack knew he was going to enjoy the show, and the company.

Relaxing a bit as the afternoon quickly turned to evening, Jack couldn't even remember why he was so nervous in the first place. Currently lounging across the blanket with his head resting on Luke's lap, he sighed with contentment and watched the couples get up to dance.

Luke glanced down to Jack noticing him dazed as he stared at the dancing couples. He cleared his throat, "Care to dance?"

Jack turned his head to look up at the man and smiled gently. Helping the smaller man to his feet, Luke wrapped his arms around Jack's waist as they swayed to Aerosmith's- I don't wanna miss a thing. The cool breeze and dipping sun made a perfect setting as the two got lost in each other's eyes. Luke rested his forehead against Jack's as the song was winding down then leaned in to place a soft kiss to his lips.

The kiss was sweet and innocent, just enough to show affection without going overboard too quickly. It sent shivers down Jack's spine. Once they parted Luke remembered a present he had brought with him.

"Oh, I almost forgot. I have something for you."

A blush rushed across Jack's cheeks almost instantly, "You didn't have to get me anything, really you've done so much already."

Luke pulled out a small bag from the bottom of the basket and handed it to Jack. "Honestly it's nothing, just progress." He said with a small smile and a wink.

Jack opened the bag and pulled out a compression sleeve for his shoulder. He chuckled at it and looked to Luke with a questioning expression.

"Surprise, you've graduated from the sling. Now you can just wear this outside of therapy under your shirt. It's almost like you're back to you're old self again."

A huge smile immediately found it's way to Jack's face as he bumped his good shoulder with Luke's. "It's all thanks to my wonderful physical therapist."

A few days later, Jack sat at his desk with a sketch pad in hand working on a new design when a message came across his phone. 'Dinner and drinks Wednesday night?'

He immediately texted back, 'Wouldn't miss it'.

Things were going well between him and Luke, even though he wasn't quite Mark, he was still a very charming guy. Maybe it's a good thing he's not Mark, after all how many times did Mark break his heart already? It's not like Mark was calling or texting. In fact he hadn't heard from him but once since he left for New York... with Max.

Jack huffed as he slammed down his sketch pad onto his desk releasing anger he didn't even realize he was harboring. Right now he just wanted to focus on his project and having a good time with Luke so why on Earth did Mark insist on plaguing his thoughts all the damn time.

The next evening, date night again, Jack strapped on the compression sleeve to cover his shoulder and slipped on a nice wine colored dress shirt. The cocktail lounge they were going to was only a few blocks away from Felix's house so he decided to walk and meet Luke there for date number two.

The second date was almost as good as the first, although there was a bit more flirting going on between them. Jack just chalked that up to the drinks. Luke was funny, flirty, positive and alluring- just what Jack loves... well, almost.

The two lost track of the time and the amount of drinks they had consumed, Luke held it together a bit better than Jack though. After realizing just how drunk his date had become and how late the evening had gotten Luke decided to call them an Uber and forego the stroll home.

Once the car pulled up to the house, Luke helped a very intoxicated Jack to the door. They laughed as they stumbled up the porch steps before turning to each other to say goodnight.

"Ya know, you're really pretty" Jack managed to mumble out amidst his blurred vision and rising nerves. "I don't... I don't usually d-drink like this. Especially on a date but you... you young man are very funny and make me f-feel very comfortable and stuff." He continued to ramble out.

Luke chuckled at Jack's ramblings, "I'm really glad we met Jack. I like you a lot." He closed the gap between them to press their lips together and quickly parted.

"You need rest though, it's been a long night and I have work in the morning. I, I would love to see you again- maybe this weekend if you're not busy- but you don't have to answer now because I know you've had quite a bit to drink and I.."

He was cut off by Jack kissing him again- this time with a bit more passion. "You're such a good guy Luke, of c-course I want to see you again" he said with a hiccup. The Uber driver honked their horn signaling he was ready to go.

"Guess that's my queue, night."

"Night night"

Luke leaned down and kissed Jack's hand before he left. 

Jack stumbled up the stairs and into his room before plopping down on the bed, his head spinning. He closed his eyes and thought about tonight- the date seemed perfect... too perfect. Yeah Luke was funny and charming and all but there was something missing with him- some sense of adventure. Something deeper.

He couldn't help but let his mind wander to the man he had secretly been missing. Mark had it all and Jack longed for it. 

He should have known better, he had learned the hard way that drunk dialing never ended well but in his current state and no one to talk him out of it- guess what he did.

The phone rang once, this is a bad idea. Twice, what time is it in New York anyway? Three times, this is crazy I'm hanging up... "Hello"

A deep smooth voice shot through Jack's drunken consciousness, immediately alerting every butterfly in his stomach into chaos with a simple word.

"H-hey" Jack responded breathlessly.

Mark had just started to settle in his room for the evening after refusing to go get drinks with Max. He was beyond over this trip and was missing home. Once he saw Jack's number pop up his breath hitched with anticipation so he took a moment to gather himself before answering. 

After Molly had mentioned to him about Jack having a date, he really didn't expect to hear much from the Irishman but low and behold-here he is.

"So, how are things?" Smooth Mark.

He waited a moment for Jack to respond, after not hearing anything from the man on the other line he started to question if something was wrong. Before he got a word out though he noticed Jack breathing heavily into the phone.

"Jack, is everything alright?"

In Jack's current state, the alcohol had really compromised his judgment but one thing it did do was wake up his libido. Before dialing the phone, Jack had shed his shirt and pants, leaving him in his briefs all while his mind raced with thoughts of Mark, Mark, Mark.

Right now there was no hiding what Mark's voice did to him, especially hearing that baritone voice say his name. Jack toyed his fingers just inside the waistband of his brief before responding, "Mark... everything's fine. J-just talk to me."

Mark furrowed his brow trying to figure out if Jack was upset or just couldn't sleep. "Ok, what do you want me to talk about?"

Jack wrapped his hand around his half hard cock, squeezing lightly as his head started swimming from the effects of the drinks and the sinful voice. "Anything Mark, please just talk to me." he pleaded in a low breathy voice as he started to stroke himself.

"Are you sure you're ok, you're not sick or anything because I can have Molly or someone come over and check on you." Mark was confused and concerned, he sat forward in his bed waiting on a response when he was abruptly pulled from his thoughts.

"Please Mark, I just want to hear your voice... I need to hear it." Jack drew his knees up and arched his back as he continued with his wandering hand.

Mark started to draw another conclusion in his head, is.. is Jack... surely he's not. "Jack, are you drunk?"

A smirk found it's way to Jack's lips "Maaayyybe, tell me what you're thinking about Mark"

Things were starting to make a bit more sense to Mark... maybe. If Jack was drunk, breathing heavy, wanting him to just talk to him and nothing was wrong then perhaps he was..."I'm not sure if you really want to know what I'm thinking right now, wouldn't want to cross that friendship barrier now would we."

Jack let out a large huff starting to get frustrated, he really didn't want to spell out to Mark what he wanted but he was so turned on just by the man's voice that he didn't want to stop. "I- I want you to talk to me Markie, let me hear your voice. Fuck the barrier- Just tell me about your day, your night, what you're wearing, what you want to do to me... fuck, recite the ABC's for all I care"

Mark got the point.

He sunk down into the hotel bed, closing his eyes and thinking about Jack. "You really want to know what I want to do to you Jack?" Mark lowered his voice, drawing out his words.

"If you were with me right now, in this bed I would..." Mark paused for a moment, yeah he wanted to be sexy for Jack right now but there were a few things he wanted to get off his chest first.

"If you were here, I would tell you how absolutely stunning you are, I would kiss every inch of your body until you realized the beauty I see in you, I would hold you in my arms and make sure you felt safe... loved. Jack, I would make love to you until every fantasy you've ever had was satisfied and you truly understood just how madly in love with you I truly am."

Silence.

Jack paused his movements just listening and trying to comprehend what Mark was telling him. He didn't even notice the tears rolling down the side of his face as he stared at the ceiling.

"Mark..."

"Now, I think you wanted me to talk to you so I need you to do something for me first." Mark knew that Jack had called for a reason and he wanted to help take care of that reason. "Lay back on your pillow and under your covers, can you do that?"

Jack did as he was told, "Yeah"

"Now close your eyes, imagine my fingers gently roaming down your chest to your stomach as I lean in to kiss your neck. I know you love it when I kiss your neck, don't you."

Letting his hand roam once again, Jack could almost feel Mark's warm breath ghosting across his neck. "Yes"

Making sure to keep his voice low and calm Mark continued, "Jack, I want to touch you right now so badly. Are you naked for me my love because I don't want anything getting in my way."

Slipping out of his last garment of clothing, Jack was now under the covers fully naked and submitting to the other man's voice. "Mmmm Mark, I won't let anything get in your way. Just touch me, make me feel good. Show me what I've been missing." Jack's voice was soft and he was speaking in almost a whimper, he wanted Mark touching him. 

"I'm so hard right now Jack, can you feel it? Can you feel it when I rub may hard cock against yours. I just want to wrap my hand around our dicks, press them together so we can cum at the same time. Can you imagine us hot and slick against each other... god I bet you'd feel so good under me right now." Mark breathed out in a rumbling whisper as he started stroking himself.

"Fuck me Mark, make me forget anyone else even exists but the two of us." Jack's thumb circled the head of his cock as he spread the pre cum across it. His breath hitched as he imagined Mark's weight pressing him down into the bed, his hand gripping his hard cock pressing their lengths together as they shared heat between them under his covers.

Mark huffed out as he sped up his hand starting to chase his orgasm, "Jack... Jack I wanna make you cum. I wanna make you an absolute mess below me. I want you to relax in my hands, let me take control of your body. Cum for me my love. Let me feel it, cum in my hand, on my cock Jack... let me taste you, touch you, feel you tremble."

He could hear Jack panting on the other end before he was moaning out Mark's name and dropping the phone on the bed next to him. 

As Jack was coming down from his high, Mark's orgasm hit him hard as well. He whispered out Jack's name like a mantra as he rode out his orgasm.

After a minute or two, Mark waited to hear Jack return to the phone. Instead all he heard was light snoring from the man. He couldn't help but chuckle at the fact that Jack literally just passed out from their encounter, "Goodnight Love" and with that he hung up the phone unable to wipe the smile from his face.


	32. Storm is coming

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mark is finally coming home, Hazel causes some trouble and Jack gets some advice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not too happy with this chapter, I feel like it suffers from ADD but there are a lot of loose ends to tie up.

Jack's own mind and lack of will power betrayed him. He knew he never should have dialed that number, especially while he was drunk. "Stupid Mark with his stupid sexy voice and his stupid sexy... everything." He grumbled, shaking his head of any image it may have been conjuring while making his way to the shower.

He let the warm water run over his face wishing it would just wash away last night so he didn't have to confront what happened. Truth is, the thoughts weren't going anywhere. The wants weren't going anywhere. The need wasn't going anywhere. Jack may have been drunk but the things Mark said to him, the emphatic phrases that spewed from the other man, were what he longed to hear from the get go. Where was that at their earlier encounters?

Mark was perfect, he gave Jack everything he asked for over the phone unabashedly. Just because it was what Jack asked for, it wasn't what he really wanted though. And for that reason, Jack avoided Mark's calls and texts like the plague- he simply wasn't ready to face it.

Confused as all hell, Mark continued to periodically call Jack to make sure everything was kosher between them- but to no avail. His trip was coming to an end soon anyway then he could discuss matters with Jack face to face. Speaking of his trip, Mark stood in front of the mirror adjusting the tie that Max had sat out for him that morning, He had to admit, it was nice having someone set out his clothes, make sure he was eating, watch movies with in the evening and even enjoy a laugh with from time to time... a companion.

Mark glanced at his reflection in the mirror, shifting his eyes to Max putting on her jacket in the background. He thought for a moment about their relationship in the past and how blissful things were in the beginning. She was a simple lounge singer and he was just expanding his business to the California area. They would spend hours sitting on the hood of his car overlooking the city, she would sing, he would play guitar. It was simple, endearing... then things changed. He became more engrossed in the animal rescue and shelters he built and she became more interested in luxury vacations and materialistic items.

Refocusing his attention, Mark rolled his neck and shoulders as if brushing off the past. He had a meeting to get to.

The next few days went by uneventfully, calls and texts, avoided calls and texts. Mark couldn't be more happy to get back home and see Jack face to face. Unfortunately he was stuck in the close quarters of the aircraft with Max for a very long flight. She settled in by the window as he sat on the isle seat, Mark immediately put in his earbuds just to have them yanked out.

"There is no way I am sitting on this flight in silence, talk to me Mark... Tell me what's on your mind." Max pressed as she ran her hand up and down his bicep.

"What's on my mind right now is the fact that I want to get this flight over with as quickly as possible and we aren't even off the ground." Mark huffed pulling his arm away from Max's touch.

"Oh don't be such a sour puss, we used to be able to talk all the time. What happened to the old us, when did you become so cold and jaded? Didn't these past few weeks rekindle any feelings between us?"

Mark thought for a moment before speaking, he wanted to make his point very clear, "Yes, yes it did bring up some feelings."

He was promptly cut off by a little squeal of excitement from Max as she wrapped her arms back around his.

"No..." he gently removed his arm from hers, "The feelings it brought up were not good ones. I was reminded of how shallow and manipulative you can actually be. Now, I'm trying to be as gentle as possible here but once we get back to LA- stay the hell out of my life." He shoved his earbuds back into his ears, leaned his head back and shut his eyes.

Eventually Max got the point and asked to be changed to a different seat for the remainder of the flight. Mark was alone once again with his thoughts which drifted to his two furry companions waiting at home and hopefully Jack waiting too.

Molly continued to take Chica and Hazel to the shelter with her during work hours everyday which the girls adored. The clients coming in cooed and fawned over the two fluff balls and they in return ate up the attention. Molly periodically had to attend to other animals that had set up vet appointments so she left the two dogs with the receptionist to watch. 

Today was a slower day but simply because it had been storming all morning, a rare occurrence for LA. Chica didn't seem to mind but Hazel hated storms and found a cozy corner under the feet of the receptionist, that was until she heard her favorite mailman come in and start chatting. As usual, Hazel made her way around the counter for her daily pets and to retrieve the mail. Just as the worker was leaving out the door, a loud clap of thunder sounded and Hazel panicked... she bolted straight out the door into traffic.

Jack sat in a small cafe just a few minutes from his house, well, Felix's house. There were way too many distractions with Felix playing games in the living room all day and Marzia moving around furniture and redecorating the room right next door to his so he decided that getting out of the house for a bit would be a wise thing to do. He set up shop at a small table by the window to work and watch the rain.

Right in the middle of one of the proposal letters for the new project he was working on, the waitress came over to refill his coffee. As she poured she glanced out the window and a grieved expression washed across her face.

"Oh the poor dear, she's all wet and hurt"

Jack looked up through the window to see what she was talking about and took on a sharp gasp of air as the realization hit him.

"What the... Hazel?" He bolted from the seat and started calling for her, she immediately recognized his voice and turned in his direction. Jack noticed her limping towards him so he made his way over to the soaked pup and picked her up, carrying her into the cafe. 

The place was pretty much empty so the staff didn't mind the dog being there, she was hurt after all.

Checking her over, Jack thought out loud "What on Earth are you doing out there in the rain girl? Where's your daddy, I bet he's worried sick." It's not like Hazel to just run off, he noted that she seemed to be headed in the direction of the park they usually hang out at. Surely Mark wouldn't be at the park with the girls in the rain... was Mark even home?

Jack swallowed his pride and texted Mark, 'Hey, not to worry you but I have Hazel here with me. Are you home?'... no answer. His only other option would be to call Molly, usually the girls stayed with her and Wade while Mark was away and plus she was her vet so she could look at the injured paw.

"Hello?" Molly sounded frazzled.

"Hey Molly, it's Jack. Ya missing something?"

Molly huffed in excitement and frustration, "Oh god, did you find Hazel.. is she ok?"

Toweling off her fur with his free hand, Jack looked down at the pup now cuddled on his lap. "Yeah, overall she seems fine but she's limping a bit."

Currently making a U Turn to head to the location, Molly was relieved once she stepped into the cafe to see Jack and Hazel. The trio made their way back to the office so Molly could take a look at the injury, Jack decided to stay by her side since she seemed pretty shaken up.

As Hazel lay on the exam table Molly eyed Jack, "She seems to really like you" Jack simply smiled and continued petting her. "Mark seems to really like you too you know."

His smile dropped a bit, "I know.. I just, Molly can you keep a secret?" Before Molly could even shake her head yes, he continued, "I've been dating this wonderful guy, Luke, for the past couple of weeks and I'm happy with him."

Continuing her exam she urged Jack on, "But?"

"But there's just something missing. He's taken me on these dates that are simply unparalleled to anything else anyone has ever done for me, he's a gentleman, romantic but he's just... he's..."

Molly chimed in "Not Mark?"

"Damn it, no he's not freaking Mark. That's my problem, right there, I'm comparing him to Mark all the time." Jack is now pacing back and forth as Hazel keeps a close eye on the troubled man and Molly wraps her paw.

"Jack, do you want to be with this guy or Mark?"

He pinches the bridge of his nose and sighs, "I don't want to be with Mark... at least I didn't think so but now I'm not so sure. Plus I'm supposed to see Luke tonight again... what should I do?"

Crossing over to give Jack a light hug, Molly places her hands on his shoulders and offers her advice, "You said Luke makes you happy right? So go out with him again and really focus in on him. Not on comparing him to Mark. If you still can't get Mark off your mind then maybe pursue something with him instead but let Luke off the hook first. The last thing you want to do is hurt someone. I've known Mark for a long time and I know he has a short temper and tends to say stupid things even when he doesn't mean them, but he's a wonderful guy and would do anything for those he cares about. Not that I want to sway you in one direction or another." She smiles and winks at him.

Jack knows all of their mutual friends would love to see them together, which makes the decision that much harder. It's like breaking up a family if it doesn't work out.

That night, Jack was more nervous for his date than ever. Luke wanted to cook for him and then watch movies at his house. With an intimate setting like this the date could either go really good or really bad.


	33. Date Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things get a little heated between Jack and Luke

Jack chose to put on his big boy pants tonight and make a tough decision, did he want to persue Luke or were images and memories of Mark still plaguing his mind too much? In order to do this he was going to have to really test their compatibility for a more long term thing. Likes, dislikes, hobbies, etc. so he asked Luke to pick him up at Felix's place to introduce them. Afterall, if Luke didn't get along with his best friend then was it really going to work?

A soft knock at the door alerted Jack to Luke's arrival, here goes nothing... He swung open the door with a big smile on his face inviting Luke in for a bit. After Luke gave him a quick peck on the cheek they made their way to the living room, "Hey, I wanted to introduce you to Felix and Marzia. I know I've talked about them but you all have never met."

He ushered Luke into the living room where Felix sat playing a game and Marzia fussed over the pugs. "Felix, Marzia, this is Luke my physical therapist and... date" Jack said with an awkward smile.

The roomies had talked this over beforehand, Felix paused the game and made his way over to Luke with a discerning expression and thrusts out his hand to shake. "So, what exactly are your intentions with my daughter." Felix put on his best 'dad' voice. Luke stood there not knowing in the least what to do and hesitantly put out his hand, "Uhhh..."

Felix just started laughing, "I'm just messing with you man, if you're going to be hanging with us you gotta loosen up a bit. Come on over and grab a controller."

Luke just gave Jack a look as if to say, 'is this guy serious' before making his way to the couch. Jack sat in between them.

Luke cleared his throat as he handled the controller like a foreign object, "I really don't play much, here Jack, why don't you play and I'll watch for a bit."

Felix chimed in, "How could you not like playing video games, they're amazing!"

Luke got a touch offended, "Maybe I just like grown up things rather than just blowing things up on a screen"

"Ok then, let me know if you change your mind and want to jump in." Jack gave Felix a glance, test one was a fail. Luke seemed to have little to no interest in gaming.

After about a half hour, Luke seemed bored and overly ready to leave. They kept trying to engage the man in conversation but to no avail. "Hey Jack, why don't we head to my place for dinner before it gets too late.

Jack looked over to Luke after failing another round of the game, "Aren't you having fun? Here, why don't you play a round with Felix."

Letting out a small sigh and looking again at the remote, "It's just not really my cup of tea." Luke shrugged and sat back into the couch with a small pout. Yep, he was bored of gaming and his friends after just a half hour. I guess that marks test two off, not getting along well with his friends.

"Alrighty then, I guess your place it is." Jack and Luke headed out to his place for dinner and a movie.

Once there, the two chatted up a storm with each other, Luke seemed intently interested in Jack's line of work. "So, your work is really in a museum?"

Jack smiled like a proud papa, "Yup, well pictures of my work along with one of the scale models I built. It's in the Science and Industry Museum in Chicago."

Luke grabbed Jack's hand out of excitement, "Oh darling, we should go for a weekend and see it. That would be incredible- I'm so proud of you." Jack smiled in return, he did enjoy the support for his hard work. One check for the list, Luke was supportive and encouraging.

After a wonderful dinner that got another very enthusiastic check to the good list for cooking, the two snuggled on the couch to decide on a movie to watch. They couldn't really agree on a movie, Luke wanted an artsy film or documentary and Jack wanted a horror or comedy so they chose to just lite a fire in the fireplace and put on a record.

"Oh, you know what would make this perfect, Glenn Miller Orchestra and some white wine. I'll be right back." Luke excitedly put the record on and went to the kitchen to pour two glasses. Jack sat back on the couch staring at the fire and listening to the relaxing atmosphere... maybe too relaxing. 

Every date they've been on has been very laid back and relaxing, so where was the excitement, the childish banter, the humor? Luke was certainly a catch but was he Jack's catch? Just then Jack was pulled away from his thoughts by his phone.

A text came in 'Hey, just landed and got your text about Hazel, is she alright. What's going on?'

Jack swore he wasn't going to think of Mark at all tonight but this was some what of an emergency, he needed to assure the man that his baby girl was fine so he shot a quick text. 'Sorry to worry you, everything is fine now. Hazel got loose and made her way to me somehow. She's with Molly so give her a call.'

Mark quickly responded, 'I don't blame her for tracking you down, I'd do the same- I miss you terribly. I'm back in town now, can I see you? Please.'

Shutting his eyes to think for a moment before responding, Jack let out a calming sigh and started to type. He almost dropped his phone when Luke started to talk behind him.

"I don't mean to snoop but who's Mark?" Luke asked as he gingerly sat down next to Jack handing him a glass.

"oh, uh, he's just... he's just.." Jack tried to get the words out.

"Just a friend?" Luke beat him to it.

"Yeah, something like that."

"Listen Jack, I know we never talked about being exclusive or dating other people or what not but I really like where this is headed but now I'm a bit concerned you don't feel the same." Seeming a bit disappointed, Luke took a sip of wine before sitting the glass down, he was still on the edge of the seat not really sure he wanted to settle in too closely by Jack.

"I understand you might feel confused but let me explain, Mark and I do have a history together but that's all it is- history. We still hang out but I made it clear to him that I only want to be friends." Jack drummed his fingers on his thigh for a moment before resuming, "As far as you and I go, I really love what we have but I'm really struggling with the idea of dating exclusively and for a long term. I'm really terrible at relationships and don't want to hurt you. You're just too sweet and charming and handsome and I just..." Luke suddenly leaned in to kiss Jack with more passion that he ever had before.

Another message binged on his phone, probably from Mark but Jack wouldn't know. He dropped his phone and wrapped his arm's around Luke's neck to deepen the kiss. Jack ran his hands through Luke's longish hair slightly pulling at the locks and gaining a soft moan from the man. Add another check to the good list, Luke is an incredible kisser.

Luke's lips were soft against his and his light facial hair was scruff but in the best way, his fingers trailed down Jack's back with light, barely there scratches as he pulled the smaller man close. They parted for just a moment to look at each other, Luke cleared his throat, "Sorry if I'm being a bit forward, you're just so beautiful in this light and I couldn't help myself. Jack, I want to make you happy and if that means I have to share you while you figure things out then so be it but for right now, I want more than anything just to kiss you. To feel you in my arms, make you smile, see your eyes sparkle in the light of the fire... Can I have that tonight?"

Jack bowed his head and chuckled a bit, Luke really did make him feel special and maybe everything else would just fall into place with them. Maybe this was the right choice. He looked back up and shook his head before pulling Luke into another kiss.

It had been quite a while since Jack was intimate with anyone, as a matter of fact Mark was the last person he was with. Why not have this? Jack reached Luke's chest and started to unbutton his shirt, feeling his chest heaving below the soft fabric. Luke smiled into their kiss and guided Jack back onto the couch, climbing on top of him. It was gentle and romantic, felt almost like out of a movie as they made out in front of the fireplace. 

"God you're so beautiful, your skin is so soft and you smell incredible." Luke murmured into Jack's neck as he kissed the sensitive skin and trailed toward his collarbone. He paused a moment to help Jack out of his shirt, being careful of his still healing shoulder before resuming his ministrations. 

"Please tell me if I'm moving too fast" Luke whispered into Jack's chest as Jack ran his hands through the man's hair.

"No, no you're perfect... don't stop" Jack said in a light voice. He for some reason felt the need to whisper, everything was so quiet, gentle and slow. Luke made his way back up to Jack's neck, kissing and softly biting. They were both noticeably hard at this point, Jack led his hand down to Luke's ass and massaged it softly before pulling his hips closer to show his obvious interest in where this was going.

Luke pulled back to look at Jack for a moment "Should we move this to a more comfortable location?" 

Shaking his head yes, Jack melted at the soft touch as Luke ran his hand down his side and grabbing his hand to help him up. He led them to his bedroom before wrapping his arms back around Jack's waist, standing in front of his bed. "Are you sure you're ok with this, I don't want to rush you into anything or if there is someone else you're with on a more intimate level then I don't want to let this go any further"

While Jack appreciated the fact that Luke was making sure he was ready for intimacy between them, he kind of wished Luke would be a bit more forward with what he wants. "Luke, I promise you, there's no one else and I'm fine with this.. I'm more than fine with this, just please keep kissing me like you were."

The man granted Jack's request and leaned them down on the bed as he crawled back on top of Jack. With their shirts already shed in the living room, Luke's roaming hand made its way to Jack's pants as he started to fuss with the button and zipper. He chuckled, "Sorry, I'm not very coordinated when it comes to this, not a lot of practice." Jack thought his innocence was simply adorable and helped him with both of their pants.

Luke lightly scratched his way down Jack's belly making it quiver as he went lower. He then toyed with the smaller man's erection through his boxers while grazing his teeth against his neck gaining a soft moan. 

"Don't stop, you feel so good right now... just, just keep doing that." Jack whispered before placing his hand on Luke's cheek to lead him into another heated kiss. Luke's grip tightened a bit on Jack's cock as he worked his hand against the thin fabric covering it.

Jack could feel Luke's cock through his briefs, hot and heavy, rubbing against his thigh as he continued to stroke and kiss him. Feeling that familiar warming in his belly, Jack leaned his head back into the soft pillows, letting the older man take the lead. As his hand sped up, Jack was moaning and clawing at the others back. He was close, just...a .... bit.... more...

Suddenly, his orgasm hit him hard as he let his voice be heard loud and clear for the first time since they started, "GOD, OH MARK, PLEASE... DON'T STOP LOVE, JUST LIKE THAT MARK... right..." his eyes shot open to Luke staring back down at him in shock. They were both silent outside of their heavy breathing, Luke sat back on his knees, unable to look at Jack.

He let out a big sigh as he wrapped his arms around himself, "You love him don't you?"

Oh shit.

Jack sat up, placing a hand on Luke's arm, "Luke, I'm... I'm so sorry, I don't know what... shit. I don't even know what to say to make this better."

"I think you've said enough, please Jack, just go. Don't make this worse than what it already is." Luke shook Jack's hand off his arm and wrapped himself in a blanket.

Jack slowly got out of bed, reaching for his pants. He knew this was something he couldn't fix, he felt awful knowing he just hurt Luke this way. Tears were streaming down Luke's cheeks as Jack glanced at him in the dark lit room, "I'm sorry." he whispered before leaving the room.

Getting dressed in the living room, Jack could hear Luke cry. He knew he fucked up and as sensitive as Luke is, there was probably no recovering from this. Deciding to walk off his shame, Jack realized one thing came out of tonight, he was definitely not over Mark.


	34. Difficult conversation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jack closes himself off and Mark tries to talk

"Soooo, how was the date... oh Jack, you are soaked to the bone" Marzia met Jack at the door wanting details. She was excited to see Jack putting himself out there and dating, even if Luke wasn't really her favorite prospect.

"Don't really want to talk about it but not good. I don't think we'll be seeing much of each other anymore." Jack responded, visibly dejected and exhausted from his long walk home in the now pouring rain. "Right now I just want a shower and to disappear for a while."

"Oh sweetie, I'm sorry. Let me know if you want me to bring you some hot coco or something."

"Thanks Marzia, maybe I'll be up to talk later." With that, Jack headed upstairs to shower. After the activities with Luke, Jack didn't exactly have time to clean up before tucking his tail in shame and leaving. Needless to say, Jack felt like he deserved to wallow in his own misery on the walk home.

Jack pretty much secluded himself to his work space for the next two days, ignoring any texts or calls that came in. He was happy to have a project to work on for the moment to take his mind off of things. As he sat working on a 3D scale model of his latest creation, there was a soft knock at his door. 

"Jaaaack, can I come in for a second. I'm really worried about you." Marzia cooed in her soft voice.

"Sure, come on in." Jack said as he laid his glasses down on the desk and turned in his chair to face the door.

Marzia timidly came in the room with offerings, a plate of cookies and some coffee on a tray. "I made you some coffee and Felix made the cookies, surprisingly they're edible- you should try one."

Chuckling at her comment, Jack thanked her and offered a seat as he took one of the cookies from the plate. He sighed as they both sat in an awkward silence, Marzia cleared her throat as if she was about to speak but Jack cut her off.

"Look, I'm not going to go into details as to what happened but I'm pretty sure Luke and I are over so I just needed some time to get my head together. Sorry I've been just moping around the past few days. I know it's not exactly the most pleasant thing to be around." He sniffled and wiped his nose in a tissue "plus now I'm grumpy and sick"

She reached her hand out to place it on Jack's knee in comfort, "No, no don't think that. I understand if you need your time and privacy. Just know there are lots of us here for you to talk to... actually, that's one reason I'm here. Ummm, Mark is downstairs. He's concerned about you- he brought the dogs over incase you needed some company and didn't want to see him.

Jack let a soft smile grace his face, he did love Chica and Hazel and it was literally impossible to remain in a sour mood around those two. His smile only lasted a second before it fell again, he thought of the incident and how he called out for Mark in a moment of lust. Why did this feel so atypical, like the moment he found himself face to face with Mark his whole life would change. For better or worse he wasn't exactly sure but he knew they needed to talk sooner or later.

"I guess it's now or never huh?" He mumbled under his breath and continued to sniffle. "Can you ask him to grab the girls and meet me in the backyard in a few. I think it's time we talked."

Marzia smiled, "You're making the right decision here. Just trust your heart Jack, it won't lead you wrong."

Only a few short minutes had passed as Jack gathered his thought and made his way downstairs. He found Mark with his back to him, throwing the ball for Chica and Hazel to fetch. Seems like Edgar wanted in on the fun too, even if his little legs and pudgy body made him quite a bit slower. Jack watched for a moment imagining what it would be like to have this as his life, his family.

Mark heard the screen door open and turned, hoping it was the man he came to see. Once their eyes met, it wasn't exactly magical like they were both wanting it to be. All the world's questions were not answered with a simple moment. When blue locked onto brown, as they say, there were no sparks or fireworks. No, just two lost souls looking for answers, hoping they found them in each other.

Jack made his way to the steps of the porch, sitting on the top step and patting the spot beside him. Mark walked towards him to sit only to be pushed aside by Hazel claiming her throne next to Jack. The men chuckled at her enthusiasm, "Hey girl, good to see you too. How's the paw doing?" Jack gingerly lifted her still wrapped paw, inspecting it as he rubbed her head with his other hand.

She simply whimpered from excitement and nudged the side of his face. These dogs were the best therapy out there.

"Alright, alright, you need to share" Mark laughed as he scooted Hazel out of the way a bit so he could sit. "so how's your paw doing?" Mark gestured to Jack's arm which had been liberated from the sling for a bit now.

"Much better... at least I'm not trapped in that thing anymore." Jack looked down, still not comfortable making much eye contact at this close of range.

"How was your trip?"

"Meh, all business I guess." Mark reached up and placed the back of his hand on Jack's forehead. "You're burning up"

"Just a little cold, no biggie" Jack was given the ball by Hazel and was rolling it around in his hands. He came to the logo imprinted on the ball "Lil' Dumpling" running his thumb across it. He sighed looking up to Mark, "I missed you"

Just a simple phrase, three little words, not THE three little words but three little words that melted Mark's heart. "I missed you too. More than you know." He reached up hesitantly and brushed some of the green fringe away from Jack's face, letting his hand softly glide down his cheek trying to memorize the exact feeling of Jack's soft skin under his finger tips.

"I think we need to talk about some stuff, some of it's pretty uncomfortable and personal so please bare with me." Jack let his eyes drop to his lap again as he fidgeted with the ball. "I... I know I never really explained myself after that phone call where we... well, I'm sure you know the one."

Mark let his crooked smile show a bit before letting out a slightly amused huff, "Yeah, I think I know the one."

"I was drunk when I called you, but that's not an excuse. I knew exactly what I was doing even if I shouldn't have. I'm sorry, I was weak and originally I just wanted to hear your voice because it's comforting but I feel like I used you that night and looking back I never should have let it happen."

"Jack, don't apologize. Really, I'm fine with it. I actually enjoyed. Being away from you was difficult, even if we are just friends I still crave being near you- but I know my boundaries and I know I crossed them. I should be the one apologizing to you. You even told me you had been drinking, I should have ended it there." Now Mark was having trouble keeping eye contact, feeling shame bubble in his stomach.

Jack cut in, "There's more." He closed his eyes and pursed his lips not wanting to tell Mark about the instance with Luke but he needed to get it out there. "The last time we texted, I know I cut the conversation short, that was only because I was out on a date. I've been seeing someone for the past few weeks."

"oh" Mark's shoulders deflated as he felt himself surrender to defeat. He knew it was happening but it hurt more actually hearing it from the man he loved. "I'm sorry if I interrupted anything, it's not that I wanted to come between you two, I just..."

"No, Mark. I know you didn't. You were just responding back from a previous text and I had a free moment so I texted back. I knew it wasn't the best idea because honestly, I've had the hardest time getting you out of my mind lately."

"Oh?" Mark perked up again just a bit.

"Yeah, actually Luke and I... we're not really seeing each other anymore because of that.... well, kinda because of that... I mean.. I..." Jack huffed out in frustration, gripping the ball hard in his hand. Mark placed his hand over Jack's to calm him down a bit.

"It's ok if you don't want to talk about it right now"

Jack sniffled again and shook his head before continuing "No, it's not ok Mark. I've been dating this absolutely wonderful guy for a few weeks and when we finally get a little intimate, I shout your fucking name... what part of that is ok?"

Mark's eyes widened, his breathing hitched and his mouth hung open. "I'm sorry... you what?"

Tossing the ball and rubbing his hands down his face, Jack let out a growl. "Mark, I think..." He shook his head again and turned to the man staring at him intently "I think I'm in love with you"


	35. Nurse Mark

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jack has a cold and Mark wants to take care of him

Mark was rendered speechless to say the least. He couldn't quite grasp onto what Jack had just told him so he repeated it back-just to make sure.

"You... you think you're in love with me?"

Jack smirked and looked away with a light blush gracing his cheeks, "Yeah, I mean.. I'm pretty sure."

Looking out over the backyard of Felix's house as the dogs ran about, Mark sat next to Jack in a moment of blissful silence simply enjoying the glow of the sun hitting their faces. He gently wrapped his arm around Jack's lower back to pull him a bit closer, "How can we make sure of it one way or another? Because, I'm definitely head over heels in love with you." Mark raised his hand to Jack's face, grazing his thumb along his cheek and pulling Jack's chin towards his own to look at him eye to eye.

"I can think of one way to test it." Jack glanced between Mark's lips and eyes, man did he ever love that crooked smile and sparkling eyes. With the help of Mark's grip on his hip, Jack leaned in to connect their lips and test the waters. 

Right before they connected though, Jack quickly pulled back to sneeze into the crook of his arm. "Wow, crap. That was romantic... sorry." He sighed as his shoulders slumped down. Way to ruin the moment.

"Oh sweetheart, you're really sick aren't you? I have an idea, let me take care of you." Mark grabbed Jack's hand only breaking away slightly.

It was very evident in Jack's tired dull blue eyes that he was under the weather but he knew he had a load of work to do getting his new project off the ground plus now this revelation with Mark... There was no way he could take time off to be sick.

"Mark, I'll be fine. I'm a big boy and it's just a little..." Just in time, another sneeze followed by rasping coughs. "Ok so I guess now's not the best time to be snuggling and kissing but I promise, it's just a little sniffle." Jack went to stand up and got a little light headed and lost his balance, luckily Mark was right there to help keep him on his feet.

"Seriously Jack, you need rest and I make a killer hot and sour soup that will clear your sinuses right up. Please... come stay with me for a few days and let me care for you." Mark pulled Jack into a light hug as he swayed them back and forth.

Jack let his arms fall to his side in defeat, he was too weak to fight it and it's not like Felix was going to play nurse for him. "Alright, alright just don't make a big deal out of it." He left his head resting there on Mark's shoulder for a moment, he could really get used to this feeling.

Mark beamed, he placed a soft kiss to the top of Jack's head, "Let's go and pack some of your stuff that you'll need. I know how hard it is to just up and leave your work so make sure and get your laptop but know I'm going to be watching how much you work... right now you need your rest young man."

"Yes mom" Jack sighed out and rolled his eyes comically.

The two packed some of Jack's things up, said bye to Felix and Marzia, gathered the doggies and made their way home to Mark's house. "So you have a couple of options here, you can take a guest room, I can set up a space for you in the game room or you could room with me so I can keep a close eye on you." He winked at Jack who just smiled and shook his head in return. 

"I think a guest room would do just fine... for now."

Oh Mark really liked what Jack was insinuating- too bad he was sick or he would have a lot more fun teasing Jack. Once Jack's things were settled in the guest room, Mark made sure to bring a couple of water bottles to keep on the night stand along with extra blankets and pillows to make sure he was comfy enough.

After hearing Jack cough a few more times he realized that this was probably more than just a common cold, "Jack, do you think we should have your doctor call in some antibiotics? I could always pick them up when I pick up the ingredients for the soup."

Jack plopped down on the mound of pillows and nestled into the bed with the rest of the energy he had, "I hate to admit defeat but yeah, antibiotics would probably be good. Can you get some orange juice too?"

Mark smiled, he loved the feeling of how domesticated this was and how he was getting to take care of Jack. He leaned down, brushed back the green fringe and placed a soft kiss to Jack's warm forehead, "Of course my love, anything you need just ask."

"Actually, I feel drained right now so I'll probably just nap while you're at the store. Really, thanks for doing this for me."

Jack phoned his doctor who luckily said it sounded like a simple bug and called in the prescription. He could hear Mark downstairs fussing over a few odd and end things before grabbing his keys to leave, "Now Chica, you're in charge while I'm gone. Take care of Jack for me." He laughed at Mark's silliness but really did enjoy being taken care of by the man.

Slowly opening his eyes, Jack felt listless and freezing cold- how long was he out? He laid and listened to Mark singing from what he assumed was the kitchen, simply because he heard pots and pans clinging together as well. That didn't last long though before the sound of footsteps came closer and closer to the room.

"Hey sleepyhead, how was your rest?" Mark popped in while wiping his hands on his apron. "Soup will be ready in a bit and I brought your medicine." He sat on the edge of the bed and handed Jack a bottle of water and his pill that Jack thankfully took.

"Sweetheart, you're so hot... and not in a good way, well, you're hot in that way too but you're head is burning up." Mark ran his fingers through Jack's sweat dampened hair.

"Really, because I feel fucking freezing right now?" Jack said as his teeth literally started to chatter.

"Listen, I'm going to run you a bath, just stay here for a few and I'll come back and get you. Don't get up, I don't want you passing out on me- you hear me." Mark booped Jack's nose as Jack batted his hand away chuckling.

Mark ran a lukewarm bath adding eucalyptus scented bubbles to help clear his sinuses. After turning down the lights and lighting a few candles to make the atmosphere nice and relaxing, he returned to retrieve his green headed patient. With little fight left in him, Jack succumbed to being carried to the bathroom and sat on the edge of the tub.

"Now, do you want me to help you get undressed and in the tub or would you rather your privacy?" Mark was kneeling in front of Jack actually hoping the man would let him help... maybe he could stay and wash his back.

Rolling his neck and realizing just how out of it he was, Jack agreed to let Mark help. "Honestly, it's nothing you haven't seen before. Although, I don't feel terribly sexy at the moment so don't expect much of a show." he chuckled at himself looking to Mark rather bashfully.

"You know that's not why I'm doing this. Jack, I want you to know that this isn't just some fling or a ploy to get you into bed. I honestly love you, for better or for worse. I'm in it for the long haul- as long as you'll have me... now come on and let me help you." He helped Jack out of his clothes and into the tub.

"Mark, can you stay for a few and keep me company?" Jack mumbled out through his sleepy haze.

He sat forward in the tub letting Mark run a soapy sponge over his back and shoulders. Jack sighed in contentment as he closed his eyes and focused on Mark's gentle touch and the sound of him softly humming. Maybe he should trust Mark after all, he did seem to be genuine with his words and he's selflessly taking such good care of him while he's sick. After getting off to a few bad starts, maybe they could do it right this time.


	36. On the Mend

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jack is on the mend in more ways than one.

The first night was the worst, after Jack's bath, him and Mark ate a light dinner. Jack, being sick, couldn't really stomach too much so after a couple of bites, he was wrapped in a blanket sitting at the table falling asleep. 

"Jack, you know you don't have to wait up for me to finish. Go on to bed, I'll be up in a few with your medicine." 

"Actually, I'm not exactly waiting up for you. I just don't think I have it in me to make it up the steps at the moment." Jack shrugged the blanket tighter around his shoulders, "Plus, I'm pretty warm here." and then went into another coughing fit.

"Alright, that's it... to bed with you." Mark got up from his seat, crossed to Jack and effortlessly hoisted the sick man up into his arms to carry him up the stairs.

Jack groaned but put up little to no fight being manhandled as Mark maneuvered him to the guest room. As gently as he could, Mark laid Jack down onto the bed in the middle of the blanket and pillow nest he made previously. Jack scooched around a bit before he found his comfortable spot and gave a tired but thankful smile to Mark.

Smiling back, Mark knelt down next to the bed, taking Jack's hand that was hanging out from the covers, "You wait here, and don't fall asleep. I'll be back in a second." He placed a kiss to the sick man's hand and headed out.

Mark quickly filled a glass with water and grabbed the antibiotics to head back upstairs, once he entered the room, his heart slightly swelled at the sight. Jack was out cold, snoring and cute as ever with his hand still hanging over the edge of the bed.

"Jack... Jack my love, I need you to sit up a bit and take your meds." Mark shook Jack's shoulder a bit before the younger man woke.

Groaning, Jack reluctantly sat up in the midst of his pillow and blanket fort, grabbed the cup and pill and swallowed it down quickly. Mark gave him a crooked smile before turning off the bedside lamp to let Jack rest for the night. Just as he turned he heard a whine come from the lump of blankets and turned to see grabby hands stretched to his direction. Mark let out a chuckle and sat on the edge of the bed.

"M'sorry I'm being so whiney and pitiful but you're spoiling me so well." Jack nuzzled into Mark's arms rubbing his face on the soft fabric of his shirt.

Carding his hands through the slightly damp green floof, Mark let out a sigh, "You may be a bit whiney and pitiful but I wouldn't change it. I love that you're letting me care for you." He rested against the headboard, still cradling Jack in his arms. He started humming again

"I love it when you hum, it's relaxing." Jack whispers into his chest as he starts to drift off to sleep.

The next few days got easier, after that first night Jack's fever broke and he had more energy. Although he spent most of his time wrapped in blankets, he was able to venture around the rather large house a bit more finding himself mostly snuggled in the game room on the couch with two fuzzy companions and a rather attentive host. He quickly realized the situation, it was like they were living together- which admittedly scared him a bit. Not that he didn't love Mark, but living together had many more implications than he might have been ready to take on.

"Mark, I really appreciate you letting me stay here and taking care of me..." He turned to face Mark who was sitting on the other end of the couch with Hazel and Chica between them.

Mark's face dropped, he knew there was more to this statement, "But..."

Jack shifted uncomfortably and let his eyes drop to his fidgeting fingers, "But I think I should go home soon. You have work, I have work and I don't want to become a burden and take up all of your time."

Grabbing his hands and looking him in the eyes, Mark made sure his body language showed his seriousness. "The last thing you would ever be to me is a burden and work can wait. They pulled me away for three weeks to New York, I think I can spend one week at home. Plus, Wade and Molly have been heading up the rescues when we get calls so everything is taken care of. Jack, please don't think for a second that I don't want you here because I do...more than anything and the Doctor said you have to take all ten days of the antibiotics to get better so I'm here for the long run."

Jack squeezed Mark's hands before standing, Mark kept his eyes on Jack to make sure he didn't pass out or run. Instead, Jack maneuvered his way over to Mark to take a seat on his lap and nuzzle into his neck with a content sigh. He mumbled into the fabric of Mark's shirt, "I want you to know that I do love you. I've never had anyone take care of me like this or make me feel as loved and special as you do. I know we got off to a rough start but I think we actually may be able to do this."

Mark pulled Jack a bit tighter, "I love you too."

The next night the two migrated from their beds to sleeping together on the couch, the better Jack felt the more touchy feely he got with Mark. To which Mark ate it up. The night after that, they made it back to the beds... well, one bed... together.


	37. A bit of Alone Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mark and Jack spend a quiet afternoon working away at their own projects until more pressing matters arise.

Mark and Jack sat in the living room both enjoying the comfortable silence between them while they tended to thier own things. Hunched over the coffee table in his white tank top and grey sweatpants, Mark pounded away at the keys of his laptop answering emails. Jack, on the other hand was wrapped in a familiar too short leopard print housecoat, quietly scrolled through an article that needed proofreading. The late afternoon light shone through the windows casting long shadows across the floor and warming rays in just the right spots as the smell of freshly brewed coffee wafted through the air.

"I think the coffee is ready, do you want me to grab you a cup while I'm at it?" Mark said as he stood to stretch his back, raising his arms over his head.

Jack glanced up, catching the sight and let a small smile dance on his lips, "Yeah honey, that'd be great."

He heard rustling in the kitchen and soon enough was greeted with a nice warm cup of coffee, made to perfection. Taking the mug gratefully, Jack let out a content sigh as he took a timid sip of the hot drink. Mark simply chuckled as he quickly pulled the mug back, slightly burning his lip. Jack jutted out said lip, pouting at Mark's laughter to which Mark leaned over and gently placed a kiss to it.

The kiss was soft and sweet and tasted of coffee, so Mark went in for another taste. Jack rested his hands on either side of Mark's face, holding him in place longer this time. Without disconnecting from the kiss, Mark lowered to his knees to be on Jack's level, placing his hands on his thighs to comfortably rest his body between them. Mark's hands started to wonder higher up the smaller man's thighs and back down again adding a bit of nails to leave a light scratching sensation as he trailed down.

Humming into the kiss, Jack pulled away slowly to look at Mark, "Hold that thought" he said quickly looking back down to his laptop. He pressed save so he didn't loose his work, snapped the top shut and placed it to the side to attend to more pressing issues. "Ok, where were we?" Smiling as he snaked his arms around Mark's neck, Jack resumed their kiss with more fervor than before.

Mark's hands made their way back up, under the cushy fabric of the housecoat he'd grown to love, and to the soft supple skin hidden beneath his briefs. He used his grip on Jack's ass to pull him forward in the chair as he leaned into the smaller man more.

Jack's breath caught at the action, "Mark, I really want to continue this but I don't want you to get sick because of me."

Trailing kisses down his neck, Mark chuckled, "Don't worry, you're not contagious anymore so figuratively I could have my way with you with no consequences."

Leaning his head back to expose the expanse of his pale neck as an offering, Jack questioned, "Figuratively?"

Mark huffed out, taking full advantage of the exposed skin as he resumed his ministrations, "Literally?"

"Better"

Jack ran his hands along Mark's abs and up to his chest, toying with his nipples over his shirt. Quickly, the obstacle was removed so Jack could easily pinch and rub the little brown nubs that drove Mark oh so crazy. Then he slightly lifted his hips to meet them with Mark's, who groaned and pressed down against him in response.

As the two were kissing and grinding against each other, Jack glanced over the other's shoulder and was met by a strangely uncomfortable sight. "Ummm, Mark..."

Mark hummed into the crook of Jack's neck in response.

"We have an audience of under aged girls watching us"

Snapping his head around, Mark was met with two sets of doe eyes and wagging tails. Seems Hazel and Chica thought the 'wrestling' looked fun and were wanting to play too. The two men chuckled at the sight before Jack spoke up, "maybe we should take this somewhere a bit less crowded."

"yeah, head upstairs and I'll meet you there."

Jack stood and ran his hand across Mark's chest as he passed to go up the stairs, "Don't keep me waiting too long" 

Mark responded by lifting the back of his housecoat and slapping Jack on the ass, "be right there sweet cheeks."

Taking a second to grab a bottle of water and collect his thoughts, Mark couldn't help but to think of their previous encounters and how badly they both ended. He was determined to make this special, to show Jack that he truly wanted this relationship between them to work. Shaking off any negative thoughts, he made his way upstairs to find his Irishman.

Jack decided to leave the housecoat on for now, he'd let Mark take that off him, and rather timidly sat on the edge of the bed. His stomach was starting to knot in anticipation as his mind quickly drifted. Was this going to be like the other times they were together or were things actually different now?

Seems the two were having the same doubts running through their minds so when Mark came in, closing the door behind him, he stood and stared at the smaller man sitting quietly on his bed worrying his bottom lip between his teeth. He made his way over, putting the water on the bedside dresser and sitting next to Jack.

"Penny for your thoughts?"

Jack simply huffed out in humor, "I just... Mark I just want to make sure we're ready for this. Things between us in the past, they were... well, they really didn't..."

"I know, I know exactly what you mean. Jack, I want this with you more than ever but if you want to wait then we can."

"No, no, I want this too. I guess I'm just worried that as soon as the deed is done, things will go south again." Jack rested his head on Mark's shoulder as Mark wrapped an arm around Jack.

"They won't, and you know why?"

Jack just let out a small humm in response.

"Because we're communicating now, just like this. If one of us has something bothering them this this is what we need to do, talk it out. Sweetheart, I love you and trust me, I'm worried about the same thing but here's our chance to change that- to move forward together."

Lacing their fingers together, Jack raised Mark's hand to his lips and kissed at his fingers. He slowly kissed the tip of each one until he got to his thumb which he tentatively ran his tongue across. Mark's breath hitched as he did it again and then enveloped the digit in his warm, wet mouth lightly sucking. Letting out a soft moan, Jack's actions made Mark's stomach flutter. He turned the smaller man's head to face his own, locking their lips together once more.

The room was dark, with an exception of the light coming in from the cracked bathroom door, and felt a lot warmer than before as the two fell back onto the bed, still kissing and lightly running their hands along every inch of exposed skin they could.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter is, you guessed it, mostly smut but I promise there will be progression in the story.


	38. Sexy time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's smut, read it if you must ;)

Mark had Jack pinned to the bed, arms raised over his head and their fingers entwined, as he slowly humped against his thigh. He trailed his fingers down the slender arms, towards his chest before resting on his lower back, pulling Jack impossibly closer.

"God you taste incredible" Mark mumbled between soft nibbles to the pale expanse of Jacks neck as he writhed below him.

Jack let out a low growl that morphed into a whine as Mark bit down a bit harder as he continue grinding against him. "Th-this is not fair... oh..oh Mark you feel good, so warm, so ughh." He trailed off through gritted teeth, lost in the feeling the other man was bringing to his surface. He had absolutely been craving this, even through the distance, the fights, Jack still loved his touch, his sounds, this, him.

Trailing down soft kisses and nips to Jack's chest and stomach, Mark landed at the trail of hair leading to the band of Jack's brief and froze momentarily. He rested his lips briefly on the now healed scar left behind from their past and let out a breath before hooking his fingers in the band of the black fabric. He lowered the garment letting Jack's member free to the cooler air in the room and felt Jack nearly silently gasp at the sensation.

Jack felt his stomach muscles tighten out of anticipation as Mark ghosted his lips across Jack's cock warming it with his breath. He let his tongue trail a line up the shaft before slowly tracing around the tip, gently pulling back the foreskin. He repeated the action a few times eliciting soft moans from the man below him before Jack started to get impatient, circling his hips forward wanting, no, needing more.

"Please" Jack whispered with his eyes tightly shut, gripping the sheets in his hands as he tried to restrain his movements.

"Patience my love, we have all the time in the world." Mark responded with a smirk as his warm breath hit right at Jacks groin and his hand slid up and down the now very firm member.

Laying back against the soft pillows, Jack tried to keep patient, he really did but the anticipation was killing him. He had been wanting Mark again for so long now that he wanted nothing more than to grip his hair and fuck his face but that would be wrong. Not like this, not when Mark was showing him so much love and attention and doing everything possible to make Jack feel good. So, Jack did what he could to keep a firm grip on the sheets and his hips as still as humanly possible, well, any human in this situation. 

Mark took almost the entirety of Jack's cock into his mouth as he hollowed his cheeks sucking and swirling his tongue, tearing the younger man apart with just a simple motion. He was pushed to continue with even more fervor as he elicited even more moans from the male below him. Mark indulged in the sinful sounds Jack was making as he moved his hand faster along his shaft and drew his attention towards placing soft bites and kisses to the inside of his thighs. He griped one of the pale thighs and placed it over his shoulder as he slightly raised up on his knees, bringing the small of Jack's back off the bed and into his lap, still working his cock with his other hand. 

Jack loved how Mark could effortlessly manhandle him and maneuver his pliable body into any position he wished. With the new angle came new pressures, new sensations which made it almost impossible for Jack to keep his cool. 

"Fuck Mark, you're gonna make me cum so fast if you keep this up. I want you so bad it hurts. Please... god please Mark let me ride you." Jack was breathless with the soft touches and caressing, he wanted to take more control.

Mark chuckled at the request, "What ever you wish sweetness." He released Jack's leg and helped them roll over to the new position with Jack poised on top of Mark's hips.

Slowly bucking his hips forward and back, Jack found just the perfect spot where Mark's cock slotted right between his ass. He ground his hips down repeating the motion which had Mark screwing his eyes shut and his mouth hanging open.

"This just won't do." Jack huffed and stopped the motion, crawling off Mark.

Mark's head shot up as he remembered to breath again mourning the loss of heat against his member. "Shit, what... did I do something wrong?"

Leaning over to place small kisses on Mark's lips and face, Jack laughed softly, "No, you're perfect. There's just way too much in the way." He started pulling at Mark's sweats and boxer briefs, ridding his body of the excess fabric that was obstructing the actual skin to skin contact. Jack also removed his briefs the rest of the way before reaching for the bottle of lube sitting on the bedside dresser, squirting a bit on the palm of his hand. After placing a firm grip around Mark's cock he worked the slick substance around for a moment before returning to his mount.

Slotting Mark's cock between his cheeks once again, he bucked his hips back and forth slotting them together and pulling a moan from deep within Mark's chest. Even without penetration, the feeling of Jack's warmth against his cock was amazing, how the tip slid against the back of Jack's balls, then back to his warmth with every movement-like a velvety softness enveloping him. Mark let his hands wonder across the lightly hairy chest then back down to grip Jack's hips as he slowly rode him.

"Fuck Jack, I need you." Mark requested in a breathy whisper. 

Jack smirked and leaned into Mark's ear, "Then take me".

Letting out a strong huff, Mark grabbed onto his cock as Jack raised a bit to his knees to give him room to align himself. The smaller man slowly sank down onto his cock, making sure to allow himself time to stretch and welcome the large protrusion into his body comfortably. After a moment or two of slight movements, Jack let out a breath he didn't exactly realize he was holding and tested a bit larger of a movement. He raised his body up and sank back down all the way against Mark's hips earning a hitch in Mark's breathing along with a low growl. "Jack...I... ugh." Mark couldn't even finish the thought before Jack was moving more confidently in his lap, stunting his speech and blowing his mind. 

Jack was graceful, lean, sensual and simply beautiful as he bucked his hips chasing the pleasure he was drawing from Mark. He threw his head back, with his mouth slightly opened, rolling his entire body and riding Mark like a fucking show pony. Mark was speechless watching the show unfolding in his very lap, it was like his very own private porno.

Getting closer and closer, Jack started bouncing a bit more against Mark, forcing his cock deeper as it found it's way to rubbing against his prostate. He let out a loud whine as he closed his eyes and started pumping his own cock searching for release, he was so close so quick but he didn't care, Mark felt amazing right now and all he wanted was to make him cum. He opened his eyes looking down at Mark, his slightly sweaty tanned skin, the strain in his muscles as he gripped at Jack's hips and moved his own to meet the supple skin of Jack's ass. Jack's hair bounced around, slightly hanging down and covering his eyes. Mark thought it made him looked even more gorgeous than he had ever seen him before, he couldn't help himself any longer, he pulled Jack's arms and brought the man into a passionate kiss. The two held on tight to each other, quickly bringing Jack to cum between them first. 

Mark slowed down a bit to let Jack ride out his orgasm before gripping his hips again to pound into him mercilessly chasing his own. It didn't take him long at all as he released deep within Jack.

Moments passed, Jack laid at Mark's side snuggled into his chest as Mark stroked his hair. "I fucking love you, you know that?" Jack said with a huff and a smirk on his face.

"Yeah, I think I do and I love you too baby." Mark kissed the top of the green mop before pausing a second. He had a thought that hit deep in the pit of his stomach, how do you word this lightly... "You umm, you're still on the pill right because I.. I just kinda..."

"You kinda? I think you more than kinda Mark." Jack giggled, "Of course silly"

Mark laughed with a bit of relief, he didn't want to make that mistake again so soon. Should he even call it a mistake, that didn't feel right to him but regardless, with just starting to date, their careers and everything else-that part of their lives together can wait a bit. For now, he just wanted to enjoy having his Irishman back in his life again. Now if he can only convenience him to say yes to the question he planned on posing in the morning.


	39. The Question of the Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mark asks a question for Jack to consider.

Mark felt a warm breath across the back of his neck, it brought an immediate sleepy smile to his face. He laid for a few minutes enjoying the warmth of the sun peeking through the curtains as well as the warmth snuggled close behind him. The morning air was quiet and peaceful outside of soft snores coming from Jack which in Mark's mind was the best sound ever to wake up to. Sadly, he had to wriggle his way out of the warm spot to take care of some morning business.

Sitting up, Mark stretched his arms over his head and then looked over his shoulder to see Jack frowning and shifting in his sleep, probably from the loss of his personal heater. Mark made his way to the bathroom to pee and brush his teeth but also to think about the question he wanted to ask Jack.

Breakfast would be a must, after all, the way to a man's heart is through his stomach... or something like that. So he started cutting up some strawberries and a mango along with some eggs and toast. He heard footsteps coming down the stairs and turned to see one of the most heartwarming sights he'd ever experienced.

Jack came shuffling down the stairs, rubbing his eyes, wearing Mark's short leopard print housecoat and, somewhere along the lines, he found his house shoes that were a few sizes too big. He let out a short yawn before he hit the last step and then made his way over to Mark, wrapping his arms around his waist and resting his messy hair on his chest, stopping Mark in his tracks.

At that moment, Mark knew he wanted to see this same scene play out every morning again and again for the rest of his life. Down to business though, Mark pecked Jack on the top of the head and ushered his to his seat before setting a plate of food and coffee in front of him. He got himself the same and sat down on the other side of the table deciding to keep the conversation light to start out with.

"How'd you sleep?"

"Mark, I swear you must have the most comfortable bed in existence. I slept like a baby."

"What, so you woke up every three hours screaming for your daddy?" Mark retorted with a wink.

"Wha... oh for fuck sakes, you know what I mean." chuckling out, Jack took another sip of his steaming coffee. "It's too damn early for your fuckery, at least let me get some coffee in me first."

Mark let out a little huff of a laugh as well, "Can I just tell you that you have the most adorable snore ever, I mean, I didn't exactly think a grown man could have a cute snore but you are something else."

Jack rolled his eyes, he couldn't wipe the smirk off his face with all the compliments Mark kept throwing at him.

Forging ahead to the topic he really wanted to get to, Mark continued his conversation, "Seriously, it's something I would love to wake up to for the rest of my life, that's how good it is."

As Jack was taking another drink of coffee, he looked over the rim of his cup and raised his brows at the implications of that statement, waiting for Mark to continue the thought.

"Jack, I want to ask you a question and I want you to think about this seriously before answering." Mark rounded the table and sat on the chair next to Jack, taking his hand in his own. "I know things have been rough in the past for us and hopefully I've been able to show you lately how much I truly love you. I want us to move forward together and I know if we can just talk through things then we can make it through anything. Jack..."

"Mark?"

"Jack, will..." Mark stuttered for a moment on his words.

"Mark, don't"

Not listening to Jack, Mark was determined to get his question out. "Jack, will you consider moving in with me?"

Letting out a huff of air, Jack was rather relieved at the question, at least he wasn't asking... never mind, this is still a serious step. "Mark, I really don't think..."

"Wait, please, before you answer just think of this. You are already staying with Felix while you look for a new house and I'm alone in this way too big of a house. I have plenty of extra rooms for your office and you could even take over one of the guest rooms if you're not ready to share a bed every night. Chica and Hazel would love having you around everyday... well, I would too and hell, they already love you like you're their second daddy. Please consider it.

Just like clockwork, the girls hear their names and come trotting in from the open backdoor to see what the men were up to. Hazel scooched her way between Mark and Jack to rest her nuzzle on Jack's lap which earned her a scratch to the top of her head and behind the ears.

"It's hard for me to say no to these girls but Mark, I need some time to think about it. Really, it's a huge step for me. I'm used to so much freedom when it comes to where I live, I've been known to move states or even countries at a moments notice for my work. Hell, you of all people know that. I just... I can't answer right now but I promise I'll think about it."

Mark's posture noticeable slumped a bit as he shook his head in agreement, "I know tend to travel quite a bit and... I really, Jack I don't want to loose you again. I'm glad you're at least thinking about it though, just... just take your time thinking and know I'll be here regardless of your decision."

Jack leaned in to kiss Mark, "Thanks for understanding" He kissed him again, "and for breakfast" and again "and for last night" this time he held the kiss and made his way over to Mark's lap, wrapping his arms around the American's shoulders. They wound up not getting much else done that morning.

Two weeks had passed, Jack had started staying over more often, much to Mark's delight. Unfortunately, he still hadn't answered the question much less come any closer to a decision. Although, things have been going well for the two, they talked about dating exclusively and if they wanted to officially label themselves as a couple.

"We're really going about this whole thing ass backwards Mark, you've already asked me to move in but you're just now questioning if I consider you my boyfriend?"

Mark sat down his fork next to the plate, they had gone to a small outdoor cafe for lunch before their daily walk with the pups. "Well, you never know. I just wanted to make sure we're on the same page here. Who knows, some gorgeous model could come and sweep you off your feet and you wouldn't have the excuse 'I have a boyfriend'." Mark shrugged.

"Are.. are you seriously worried about something like that?"

"Well, yeah. Jack, look at yourself. You're stunning, you could have anyone you want." 

Jack shook his head with a small smile on his face, he couldn't believe Mark would even question their relationship when things were going so well lately. "Mark" he reached across the table, grabbing the other man's hand, "Mark Fischbach, you listen to me, I don't want anyone else, only you. Don't you understand that you are that gorgeous man that came to sweep me off my feet. Don't worry, I have no plans to go anywhere else but with you."

Mark smiled and kissed the back of Jack's hand before they resumed their lunch with lighter topics.

They both finished their meals, each grabbed a leash and made their way to the park for some playtime with the girls. On the way home, they stopped at a bakery since Jack's sweet tooth had been driving him crazy.

The lady behind the counter waited patiently as the men eyed the confections deciding on which one tickled their fancy. Jack was first to step up to order getting two large chocolate chip cookies before making his way to the register. There he was greeted by another older grandma type lady with short grey hair and glasses perched on the end of her nose attached to a chain around her neck. Jack handed her the cash as Mark stepped up behind him, Erma, as the nametag said, handed him his change back with a wink. "Here you go handsome" she grinned, laughing at herself.

Jack smiled in return, "Sorry, Erma but I have a boyfriend" the two laughed at the seemingly inside joke as Mark just stared at Jack, taking in his statement with a smile.


	40. Readings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jack is moody, Mark takes him on a date

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> On a side note, I skipped the Markiplier show this time around since I already saw it and just got tickets to Jack's show in Chicago.... woo hoo!!!!!!! Sorry boo boo, Jack's getting my money this time around.

Waking up to a cold bed is never fun, especially when you expect your cuddle buddy to be within arms length. Mark slowly sat up in bed to find an empty room, no light in the bathroom and no sounds from downstairs-so where is Jack. Over the past almost month, Mark had grown accustomed to always being the first up in the morning so waking to an empty bed was a bit unsettling. He got up to search for his missing boyfriend to find him in the dark kitchen sitting at the table. He seemed to be staring into a half empty cup of coffee, leaning his forehead on his hands while Hazel patiently rested her head in his lap.

"You're up early"

Jack didn't move, he just sniffled and shook his head in response. 

"Hey, what's wrong?" Mark knelt down next to Jack to see his hidden face better-he had tears streaming quietly down his cheeks. "Baby, talk to me." He rubbed his hand against Jack's back to just have it shrugged off.

"Sorry if I woke you up, I just... I don't know. I'm having one of those mornings where I can't sleep and nothing is going right and I'm just in a mood." Jack huffed and sat back in his chair. Really nothing in particular was bothering him, he just got to thinking about him and Mark, moving in, his job, things that happened in the past few months and everything just felt so overwhelming all at once.

Mark noticed every time he tried to touch Jack to comfort him he just seemed uncomfortable so he withdrew and sat in the seat next to him. "What can I do sweetheart, how can I help you right now?"

"You're fine Mark, you've been perfect. Really there's nothing you can do, it'll pass and I'll be fine. I think I just need some time alone to sort through some thoughts and feelings. I've gone through some mild depression in the past and it's kind of like that but I don't know... different I guess." Jack stayed slouched down in the chair, abandoning his coffee and playing with his fingers. "I think I need to spend a few days back home at Felix's house to get my shit together."

Feeling rather helpless, Mark conceded, "I understand, how about maybe spend the day there and tonight I take you out on a date. Nothing too exciting, no expectations, just us hanging out somewhere?"

A half smile graced Jack's face, "Yeah, yeah I can do that. Sorry for being such a grumpy bear and thanks for being so sweet to me. I promise I'll be back to my old self once I get some things sorted."

Even though is was close to 4am, Mark took Jack back to Felix's house and returned home alone to figure out something for them to do tonight.

Later that day, Jack came trudging down the stairs and scared Felix nearly half to death, "Jävla helvete! You scared the shit out of me Jack. I'm going to have to put a bell around your neck- when did you even come home?"

Hack plopped down on the couch next to Felix, "Mark brought me home early this morning, just not in the greatest of moods."

Felix knitted his brow, "What did he do?"

Quickly Jack shook is head, "Nothing, he's been perfect. Matter of fact I don't think anyone has ever made me happier, it's just that... he kinda asked me to move in with him. Oh Felix, I don't know what to tell him, it's a big step and I don't know that I'm ready for it."

"I can't tell you what to do but you said he makes you happy and the sex is good I'm assuming..."

Jack gave him a deadpan look.

Felix chuckled, "I guess I'll just have to keep assuming, I say go for it man. You can always bail if it doesn't work out."

With a large sigh, Jack rubbed his hands across his face, "I wish it was that simple, I really think he may be the one and we've only been dating for a few weeks. I love him so much, it just scares me I guess."

The two talked for a bit before Jack retreated to his room to work on his current project, at least he was just in the planning stage and nothing too intense. His concentration was all over the place right now.

Mark came to pick Jack up for their date at about 6 that evening, luckily Jack was feeling a bit better after getting a bit of space and some work done. His bad mood seemed to have passed on it's own much to his relief. 

The two were sitting in the car when Mark chimed in, "So, I wanted to do something different before dinner but I need you to keep an open mind."

Jack gave him a confused look, "Ok, if this involves car sex then I'm not sure it's dark enough out for that and you'd better buy me dinner first."

Chuckling along, Mark pulled into a small parking lot not far from home. It was a small house converted into a business with crystals sparkling in the windows and a hand with an eye in the middle of it on the door. "Mark? Where are we and why do I feel like I'm not going to like this?"

"Don't worry, just trust me."

They entered the small home to the smell of sandalwood incense and several burning candles. An older lady, probably in her fifties, greeted them from behind the counter. "Ah, welcome to Readings by Alma. I'm Alma of course." She stuck out her jeweled hand for the men to shake."

Mark smile, taking her hand, "Let me guess, you knew we were coming." 

"Not the first time I've heard that one dearie, and how are you young man?" She held her hand out to Jack.

"I'm fine, just trying to take this all in." He said with an unsure smile.

Her eyes lit up as she grinned widely, "Ah, a fellow Irishman I see. Where abouts do you hail from" Jack had only just noticed her accent as they shook hands.

"Ah, I moved a few years ago from Althone"

"Aye, I grew up near County Clare, tis a beautiful area." She beamed while talking about her home. "Now, down to business, what can I do for you fine gentlemen?"

After doing a bit of research online, Mark had an idea that he thought may help answer some of Jack's questions he had been mulling over, as long as he took it with a grain of salt. After all, who really knew if this stuff was real or just for fun. "Well I read that you specialized in tea leaf readings and was wanting to see if you could do readings for each of us?"

"Of course, do you want to go together or separate?"

Mark looked at Jack and shrugged his shoulders, Jack decided to respond, "Could you do a reading for each of us with both of us in the room?"

Alma smiled, grabbed a few supplies and led them to a back room. "Please have a seat and let me prepare your cups. I'm feeling a warmth coming from you so I think I should let you go first." She gestured to Mark and pondered over which tea cup to use for him. She chose a more shallow light green cup with yellow hibiscus on it, added some loose tea to the bottom and poured in a bit of hot water.

They chatted for a moment or two about general topics like the weather before Mark mentioned the cup. She motioned for him to drink the contents, leaving just a bit of liquid at the bottom.

"I chose the cup you're drinking from since it is graced with the state flower of Hawaii, it just spoke to me I guess. Mark almost did a spit take, "I.. I was born in Hawaii." He glanced over to Jack who simply shrugged his shoulders.

Upon finishing most all of the tea he was instructed to swirl the cup around three times before placing it back down. Alma picked up the cup and spun it slowly, tilting her head back and forth before placing it back down.

"Now Mark, it looks to me as if you work way too hard. You need to cut that out young man before you give yourself a heart attack... well, another one." Mark's eyes went wide, Jack didn't even know about that one.

"Also, you have so much love to give and are surrounded by a lot of companions that count on you to take care of them. You're doing a good deed with you're work but spreading yourself way too thin- it seems something coming in the near future is going to consume quite a bit of your time and attention so just keep in mind your priorities."

Alma went of for a bit about Mark's past, nailing almost every detail right on the head. Mark was impressed if not a bit freaked out.

"Mark, all in all just keep your focus on what's most important and don't let them slip through the cracks when you get pulled in too many directions. It's ok to dictate out your work load every once in a while."

She turned her focus to Jack for a moment, resting her hand on his before returning to the shelf to pick out his cup. Sliding her finger across several, she settled on one that was a cream color with a gold rim dotted with small pink and blue blooms. 

After the tea was prepared and consumed, she repeated the process of spinning and looking into the cup. She took a bit of time, knitting her brow and placing on glasses for a better look. Alma hummed before sitting the cup down, "You've been through quite a bit young man."

Jack simply huffed out in amusement and shook his head.

"Do you feel yourself lacking focus and passion for your career lately?"

Looking down at his hands as he fidgeted in his seat, Jack once again shook his head.

"Darling, it's not a bad thing, you're just entering a new phase in your life. Change can be scary but good, you need people around you right now to help you through. You have many questions and I don't have answers to all of them, but one thing I can say is that family shows up several times-reach out to the ones here and even the ones back in Ireland." She gives Jack a wink.

"But all of my family is back in Ireland, do I have some here I'm not aware of?"

"Oh not all of them are there, you do have one that's very close to you right now." Jack looks to Mark and grabs on to his hand.

Alma sighs, "It's not Mark darling, it's a blood relative that I'm seeing. I'm not exactly sure, the reading is a bit fuzzy." She spins the cup a few more times trying to make heads or tales of it. Finally, it makes since to her. She glances back and forth between the two cups connecting the dots.

"Well, well, well... now it makes more sense. I'm not sure... this may be a bit of a spoiler." She grins at Jack.

He finds himself getting a bit more impatient, "Come on with it then, who is it?"

"A wee baby. Are, are you two expecting."

Jack deflates and sits back in his chair, "We were but I lost them." He starts tearing up so Mark places his arm around him to comfort.

Alma spun the cup a few more times, perplexed. "I didn't want to bring that up since it seemed like a sore spot in the reading, but there are three total in your leaves. There are three pregnancies total, two in close proximity and then one more in a few years... honey, that explains the mood swings- you're expecting."

Jack shot forward looking into the cup, "I"M WHAT?"


	41. The Tests

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jack takes a test or two to confirm his suspicions

After briefly talking once they hit the parking lot, Jack said he just wanted to go home to think. The ride home was tense and silent, so much for the date Mark had planned. When they were a safe distance from the small shop, Mark finally bit the bullet to address the elephant in the room.

"D-do you think we should stop at the store before we go home." He hesitantly said after clearing his throat.

Jack was currently in his own little world, staring out the window, "Huh... oh.. oh yeah I guess we should."

They both wanted to make sure what the lady saw in their tea leaves was correct so after spotting a convenience store, Mark parked the car and fidgeted with the keys for a moment.

"Would you like me to go in or should we go together or...."

Letting out a huff of frustration, Jack simply unbuckled his seatbelt and hopped out of the car, slamming the door behind him. It's not that he was mad at Mark, just at the situation. He was gone for about ten minutes before returning with a rather stuffed bag and buckling up.

Mark stared at him for a moment, hesitant to say anything. He didn't want to anger the small bean anymore that he already seemed to be but he wanted to be there to comfort him if needed.

"Did you find what you need?"

Jack glared over to him with slotted eyes that seemed to be glowing red with anger, Mark's eyes widened at the expression.

Swinging the bag to hit Mark's arm, not too hard though, Jack let out his frustration, "I wouldn't need to be doing this if it weren't for your fucking super strong baby batter!" Mark stifled a chuckle before being hit several more times with the bag, "I'm on birth control, how the fuck did this happen? Now I'm pissed..." hit "horny" hit "and god damn it I want a fucking taco." He hit one more time before Mark couldn't hold back his laughs any longer. He grabbed the bag from Jack before he could swing it again.

"Woah, woah, woah there sweet cheeks. It's not my fault I'm packing a sperm sniper. This is something we did together, remember?"

Jack sat back mourning the loss of weapon, crossing his arms and pouting. "I know Mark... it's just... I didn't want this to happen this way, not again. I thought I was being safe, I took the pill like clockwork... what happened?" He started tearing up so Mark took his hand and kissed the back of it.

"Jack, I don't know but it happened. Right now we need to make sure and then call the doctor."

"Mark... what... what if it happens again?" He started rubbing at the scar on his belly as the tears rolled down his cheeks.

Mark bit his lip, trying to stay strong for both of them, "Don't think like that Jack, please. I'm here, I'll take care of you the best I can- I promise." Mark placed his finger under Jack's chin to turn his pouting face towards his own, "How about I stop at Chipotle on the way home then we do one of these tests?" Mark rummaged through Jack's former weapon to see he picked up four different tests, he turned to Jack with his brow raised.

Shrugging his shoulders, Jack simply replied, "What? I just want to be sure... now, I think you promised me some Chipotle?" He looked back down to his lap sniffling but with a little smile on his face, he had a feeling things will be different this time.

Mark volunteered to go in to order their food, returning back to his car after a few moments, Mark plopped a rather heavy bag of warm deliciousness into Jack's lap. "I don't think they appreciated me asking for a 'fuckton of cheese' like you requested but they piled it on for you."

Jack laughed and leaned over to peck Mark on the cheek, "My hero! Now take me home good sir so I may commence the peeing on the sticks ceremony."

They quickly made it home to be greeted by fluffs of fur and two enthusiastic wagging tails. Both girls clambered their way to Jack, ignoring Mark completely. "Well, I seem to have lost all importance here... good to see you too."

Ruffling both girls' fur, Jack drew his attention to Mark. "Oh, honey I love you too." He mussed Mark's hair, gaining a light slap to the hand and a chuckle. 

Then Mark grabbed him by the waist to pull him close, gently kissing Jack on the lips as he leaned him back slightly taking all of his weight in his arms. He stood Jack back up pulling away but staying close as he stared into those baby blues he loved so much. Jack blushed slightly with this immediate change in mood, Mark leaned his forehead against Jacks, "God you're beautiful... and don't worry, no matter what we're going to get through this together."

"I trust you Mark, just please don't disappoint me." Jack said back in a hushed whisper.

"That's not even an option." He kissed Jack on the forehead and wrapped his arms around his shoulders tighter.

Jack sighed into his neck, enjoying the warmth but feeling an itch of impatience. "Mark, if I don't get either a burrito or a dick in me soon I think I'm going to loose it."

Mark laughed whith his lips still pressed to Jack's forehead, "I think I can help you with both, do you want to pee on a stick or two first then we can eat while we wait?"

"Yeah, I think I can do that." He reluctantly pulled away from Mark, grabbing the bag on the counter before shutting himself in the bathroom.

Impatiently bouncing his leg, Mark sat on the couch with their food spread out on the coffee table in front of him. Once he heard the bathroom door open, he stood quickly turning around to face Jack. "So, how'd it go?" 

Mark's eyes followed Jack as he made his way to the couch plopping down, "We should know in about twenty minutes but for now, I'm starving."

Watching jack eat was quickly becoming one of Mark's new favorite things, he thought that there was no way he wasn't pregnant with the way he consumed his burrito. While eating, Mark took in all of the little humms of satisfaction Jack was making. How his eyes fluttered shut in bliss when he got a particularly cheesy bite and how he picked out bits of chicken to enjoy them on their own like they were a prize. He grinned at the scene before Jack caught him staring.

"What? Why are you... do I have some on my face or something?" Jack quickly started wiping at his face in embarrassment.

"No, no, you're just so adorable... Jack..." Mark took in a large breath and let it out in an amused huff before a crooked smile graced his face, "we're going to be parents." He said it in almost a whisper as his eyes teared up. "I can't fucking believe it. I can't..." Mark grabbed Jack and hugged him tight, "I'm so happy, I love you so damn much Jack."

Jack felt overwhelmed, he let out a small sob and hugged Mark back tightly, "I just hope this time..." He buried his face in Mark's neck. "I hope this time is different, I hate admitting how much I want this right now. I'm so scared."

"I think it's time, we should check the tests to make sure." He ran his hand up and down Jack's back. DO you want to check or should I?"

Pulling away then grabbing Mark's hand to stand him up Jack led him to the bathroom, "I think we should look together." The two men stood in the doorway, nether brave enough to cross the threshold.

"How many of them did you take?"

"Umm, all four?"

Mark let out a laugh at Jack's silliness, "After you" he gestured towards the door before they both entered and looked at the small sticks resting on the counter.

Jack let out an amused huff, unable to hold back the tears. He only took the time to look at the first one before turning his crying eyes into Mark's shirt, clinging onto him tightly. 'Negative'

Standing still, unable to react, Mark stared at the items neatly lined up on the counter. "It's ok Jack, I told you I'll be here no matter what and that's exactly what I plan to do."

Sniffling, Jack raised his head a bit, not looking back at the tests, "I know, I shouldn't even be upset. I just could have swore I was pregnant."

"Wha... what are you talking about? Jack, look again, every one of them shows positive. Honey, we're having a baby."

Quickly turning to look again, Jack turned his head and then gasped. "Oh god, I was looking at it wrong... I'm... Oh god." His hands shot up covering his mouth that was quickly forming a smile. Jack then looked at Mark and surged forward, crashing their lips together. He littered Mark's face with little pecks before making his way to his neck doing the same to it. "I love you so much" Jack whispered in between the light kisses.

Jack was able to get an appointment with his doctor the next day so he can have the 'official' test done and get a prescription for prenatal vitamins. He set the appointment early so they could get it out of the way and have the rest of the day to do whatever. Mark sat with him in the waiting room as he nervously bounced his leg. 

"Hey, no need to be nervous. Do you want me to go in with you?" Mark squeezed his hand in reassurance.

"Yeah, please." Jack whispered just at the nurse came out and called his name. The two men were led to a room, Mark sat on a rather uncomfortable chair in the corner as Jack was asked to remove his shirt and put on a gown for the exam. 

The doctor came in shortly after, greeting the men. "Good morning Jack, so who is this fine fellow you brought with you?" Dr. Conrad asked with a kind smile.

"Hi Holly, this is my boyfriend Mark. He's the reason I'm here." Jack said jokingly.

"Ah, so this is your doing huh?" She giggled and winked at Mark.

Mark beamed, "Yeah, I guess you could say that."

She asked several questions as she did her exam, lightly pressing on Jack's abdomen. He flinched at her cold hands and she gave him a sympathetic look, "sorry, it's so cold in the office. I need to start carrying a heat pack with me."

"So while we're waiting on the results of the test, do either of you have any questions for me?"

Jack chimed in quickly, "Out of curiosity, I was on birth control when we..." He cleared his throat, "How... how did I wind up pregnant?"

Dr. Conrad smiled at him kindly, "Not planned huh?" Jack shook his head and Mark let out a small sigh.

"Well, it is odd, especially since one, not all men are fertile and two, men aren't nearly as likely to get pregnant as women." She turned to her computer and started typing and scrolling through Jack's history. Something caught her attention quickly, "Oh... did, did you finish up all of your antibiotics while you were sick?"

Jack looked at her in question, "Yeah, why"

She turned back to look between the two men, "Did either of you talk to the pharmacists about the side effects?"

Mark and Jack looked at each other in confusion, "I'll take that as a no then. You see, the antibiotics you were on at the time counteract the effects of the birth control. The pamplet it came with should have explained to take extra precautions but I'm assuming you didn't read over it because let's face it, who does?" As if on time, a nurse came in and handed Holly a piece of paper, she eyed it over before handing it over to Jack, "Congratulations daddies, you're officially pregnant."


	42. Counting the weeks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mark goes on a rescue and Jack starts some cravings

5 weeks

Mark had gotten a call at the wee hours of the morning about two dogs that were stuck on the median of a highway that needed rescued. He headed out leaving a sleeping Jack snuggled safely in bed. The location was rather close to his house, only about a twenty minute drive but traffic was heavy for this time of the morning and even worse the dogs were darting in and out between cars. 

He had arrived before any police could show up so he parked on the shoulder of the highway to try to lure the dogs to safety with some tasty treats. Doing a rescue like this alone was a bit on the risky side but he had to act fast and didn't want to disturb any of his team this early.

"Hey, hey, come on pups. Come here." Mark whistled and called the dogs but they seemed more interested in playing than coming to him. A few cars had to swerve to avoid the playful dogs which spooked them into running more to dodge traffic, finally a cop showed up to block the lane of traffic and lend a hand. 

Mark crouched as close to the scared pups as he could get holding out the treat in one hand and two leashes in the other. They finally crowded around him, tails wagging, happily taking the treats as he looped a leash around each of their necks. 

The cop approached Mark shaking her head, "You're good at this, seems you really have a way with animals." She smiled kindly and held her hand out for one of the puppers to sniff at.

"Thanks, that's why I do what I do. I'll get these guys to the shelter, get them checked out and hopefully find where they belong. Thanks for your help." He loaded them into awaiting crates in the back of his car and bid goodbye to the cop. On the way to the shelter, he called Molly to give her a heads up about the new guests.

After a quick scan with the reader, he found they had no microchips so they got to spend the morning in 'doggie jail' with some food and fresh water until the regular staff would arrive.

The drive back home seemed to drag, Mark found himself exhausted and wanting to snuggle with Jack in bed more than anything. He quietly made it into the house and upstairs, shedding his clothes along the way to find Jack laying in bed watching something on his phone.

He slid in bed ushering Jack over to lay on his chest pulling the comforter over the both of them. He placed a kiss to the top of the green mop before him.

"Ya made it on the news this morning" Jack turned the phone to show Mark footage of him hooking the leashes around the two loose dogs. "I'm so proud of you but honey, you scared me the way you were running in and out of traffic like that."

"Really it was nothing I haven't done a hundred times before, I didn't even realize there was a camera there." 

Jack let out a worried sigh, "I know but... I just... Mark I..." He let out a frustrated huff trying to find the words without upsetting Mark. "What if something happened to you and you got hurt? We have a baby to worry about now and I really... just.."

"Hey, hey... none of that. Don't be upset, I'm fine and nothing is going to happen." He leaned in and softly kissed Jack on the forehead and nose before snuggling in to rest for a bit more.

8 weeks

Jack sat on the couch typing away as Mark came through the front door with some groceries in tow. Once everything was put up, Mark made his way back to the front room to see Jack sitting with a piece of string cheese hanging from his mouth like a cigar as he answered some emails. 

Glancing down at the plate sitting next to the laptop, Mark chuckled. "You seem to be getting some interesting cravings there" noting the numerous pieces of cheese alone with lemon wedges, "So do you squeeze the lemon on the cheese or..."

Holding up a finger silently asking for Mark to pause as he finished up the email he was working on, Jack hit send and snapped the lid shut. He quickly tossed the cheese onto the coffee table, almost hitting the plate, grabbed the sides of Mark's face as he frantically kissed him. 

"God you smell amazing" Jack trailed his kisses down Mark's neck, breathing heavily as he clawed at his shirt.

"Wow, umm thanks, I... I'm totally not complaining right now but is this part of the pregnancy thing?" Mark pulled Jack over into his lap, letting the man continue to kiss him.

"Probably... yeah." He breathlessly pulled back to stare at Mark for a moment, "You may think this is weird but... shit, how do I ask this? I'm craving you... like I really want to suck your dick right now... It's like all I can think about. I want the feeling and the taste and just everything." He started to kiss and nibble at Mark's neck again like his life depended on it.

Mark chuckled, "I think I could get used to this"


	43. A big change in the Company

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mark has some changes he's making in the company, That's where Tyler steps in.

Week 10

Mark had been working tirelessly on a large project for his Little Dumpling Pet supply company, one in which he wouldn't even really disclose to Jack, but that's alright Jack had his own things to worry about at the moment. Standing in front of the mirror, Jack had his shirt tucked up under his chin staring at his now slightly bulging belly. It wasn't a very noticeable change to anyone else but he noticed. 

He sighed and let his shirt fall back into place, it was way too early in the morning but he was missing his bed mate and his cravings hadn't let up in the slightest. Quietly making his way to the hall, he heard Mark in his office on a skype call with his office manager Tyler. The office door was standing open so it must not have been that private.

Peeking in, Jack noticed Mark was sitting in a dress shirt and tie, but no pants of course. Who was going to see his bottom half anyway- the sight made him giggle. Mark's desk faced the window so he had most of his back to the door, Jack decided to use that to his advantage.

He got to his hands and knees, minding to stay out of frame of the skype meeting, and quietly crawled over to the desk. Knowing that Chica was in the room, Mark didn't pay much attention to the brush against his knee and continued with the meeting. 

"I know you need time to settle your personal affairs there before transitioning but I'm in immediate need here for you to start your training. It's a huge move for everyone and I need to ensure you are prepared for this by time the deadline arrives." Mark stressed to Tyler the importance in timing over the video chat and even though they were friends in their personal life, this was business.

Tyler sat back in his chair, "I know Mark, I just need to make sure Ethan is ready for the move too. It's a lot to ask him to pick up everything and move out to California. You know I appreciate the opportunity and I'm moving as fast as I can with this so please bare with me a bit longer."

"Alright Tyler but I can only give you until the end of next week, even if you have to send for your significant other after you arrive and start your training." Mark rested his elbows on the desk with a frustrated sigh.

"Are we done here then and I can expect you no later than the end of next week?" Mark stressed and mindlessly patted his knee for Chica to come over, he knew she must have been near since she brushed up against his leg a few times.

"Of course Mark, you have my word. Now on to personal business, how are things there- we haven't really had time to just chat in a while?" Tyler loosened his tie since the business side of things were over with and him and Mark could chat on a more personal level.

A smile grew across Mark's face, "Things are great man, I don't think I could be much happier." Him and Jack weren't ready to spill the big news just yet, not until they made sure everything was ok.

"What's gotten into you, honestly you look happier than I've seen you in... well forever."

"I just have a lot of things in the works right now that I can't really talk about, you'll know soon enough though. When you get here next week, I'm... well, we're going to have a get together to talk about it."

Tyler raised a brow, "We?"

Shaking his head, Mark smiled back, "Yeah, I guess I could tell you about that. I'm dating someone and it's pretty damn serious... Tyler, I'm in love."

Chuckling, Tyler clapped his hands together as Ethan popped into frame. "Congrats man, can't wait to meet her- is that what the party is for?"

Mark flinched but not for the reason you may think, he felt cold fingers ghost up his thigh. Looking down he saw gleaming blue eyes and a mischievous smile below the desk. Jack let his hand ride farther up to lightly rub at the now growing bulge in his boxer briefs. Mark let out a huff.

"Mark, is everything ok?" Ethan chimed in as he now sat cross legged on top of Tyler's desk next to him, Tyler rested his elbow on his legs to lean against him.

Shooting his eyes up, Mark shook himself out of his daze, "Uhh, yeah, yeah... Chica just wanted some attention is all. What were we talking about?" Sitting back in his chair a bit, he gripped the arm rests as Jack pulled down the waist band of his underwear and immediately took his cock into his mouth to suckle on the now leaking head.

Noticing a change in Mark, the two on the other end of the chat just eyed each other but continued. Tyler was the first to chime in, "We were talking about a party when I get there, so tell me about your girl."

Running his hand through the soft green fluff under his desk just out of camera view, he tried to maintain a straight face as Jack ran his tongue up the shaft of his cock, swirling it around the tip. "I.. uh they're not exactly... his name is Jack."

Ethan and Tyler's expressions froze before they both cracked up laughing, "HE? Mark I had no idea you were Bi! Good on ya man. So can we meet this Jack guy soon or do we have to wait for the party?

At this point Jack was full force going at it, he disregarded teasing Mark to satisfy his urges but slowed when he heard Tyler and Ethan ask about meeting him. Mark was having a hard time keeping his breathing under control, his face was red and he was starting to visibly sweat.

"I-If it were up to me I'd let you meet him right now but he's... sort of busy at the moment."

Ethan leaned into the camera with a smirk on his face to seemingly get a closer look at Mark, "Mark, are you sure you're ok... you look a bit flushed."

Tyler also chimed in noticing how tense Mark was, "Yeah, are you sick or something because you're sweating up a storm. Maybe you're boyfriend should come and check your temperature." He started teasing Mark about his boyfriend, now at least they weren't the only gay couple amongst their friends.

Surprising all of them, Jack popped up from under the desk with a huge grin on his face. "Hey guys sorry to meet you like this, I'm Jack and I need to steal Mark for a few minutes- we have some *ahem* business we need to finish up on." Mark went pale and his mouth hung open as he glanced back and forth between Jack who had just popped up between his knees from under his desk and his friends who sat expressionless.

Suddenly there was a loud burst of laughter as Ethan fell over on the desk and Tyler almost fell out of his chair, "OH MY GOD MARK!!!" The two men were hysterical at this point with no intention on stopping their laughter. Jack just waved good bye as he shut the laptop.

"I hate you and love you all at the same time" Mark smiled down at him.

"Shall I continue or do you hate me too much?" Jack smirked as he turned and started stroking Mark's cock again.

"No, please by all means, continue"

Week 12

Working in his office at Felix's house, Jack got to a point where he was frustrated with the 3-D model he was building and let out a growl in anger. "Damn it! Why can't I get this shit right!!!"

Marzia hesitantly peeked in the doorway, "Jack? You alright in here sweetie?"

Jack sat with tears in his eyes just staring at the half finished project before him, "No, everything is just wrong about this. I can't concentrate, nothing is working out, I have such a headache, it's so fucking hot in here and I want a damn chocolate shake." He started pouting as he crossed his arms in front of him and plopped into his chair not bothering to contain the tears.

Squinting her eyes and cocking her head to the side, Marzia slipped into the office shutting the door behind her. "Jack dear, do you need to talk? Things seem to really be bothering you right now." She was starting to get suspicious of Jack's mood.

He let out a frustrated huff as he wiped the tears away, "I'm just angry over nothing, I'll be fine."

She sat in the chair in front of his desk, playing with a small paper weight that was just sitting there. She wasn't sure if it was her place for the line of questions she had but she forged on, "Are you feeling alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine" Jack said quietly.

"Do you need to lay down, it's not good to over exert yourself right now."

Jack raised his eyes to meet Marzia's, she gave him a knowing smile. "That may be good"

"Listen Jack, you lay down and I'll whip you up a chocolate shake and bring it to your room. Then maybe we can talk further."

Looking back down to his lap, he just shook his head in defeat. He had an inkling that his secret was out.

She reached Jack's room, lightly knocking on the door with a sweet offering of chocolate. "Hey dear, are you feeling any better? I also brought you some Tylenol, I'd give you something stronger but ibuprofen isn't good for you while..." She trailed off without completing her thought.

He hesitantly took them from her, downing them with a swig from the milkshake. "Holy shit this is incredible!" He gulped more of the shake like it was going to run away if he let go. He stopped once he heard Marzia giggle at him. "Is it that obvious?"

She smiled kindly, "To me it is, to others.. not so much. I don't think Felix has caught on. Soooo, when?"

Jack chuckled, Marzia was always so observant, "I'm twelve weeks along now" he stood lifting his shirt to show off his belly that was now sticking out from his thin frame like he swallowed a small pumpkin.

Getting up and embracing him, she could barely contain her excitement. "Oh Jack, I'm so happy for you... Mark too! Especially after the last time..." She covered her mouth realizing what she had said, "Oh, oh I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to bring that up."

He just waved her off, "I think about it a lot too, that's the main reason we haven't told anyone yet. We were... we were scared it would happen again but I'm far enough along that I'm feeling pretty confident. Thanks though, I know you didn't mean anything by it."

Week 13

The two men sat in bed together, Jack was exhausted almost 24/7 and Mark kept him company as much as he could. "Jack, can we talk about something?"

Sitting up, Jack let out a little sigh, "Yeah but can I go first?" Mark nodded for him to go on. "I have a feeling I know what you wanted to talk about and I'm sorry I never answered you properly the first time. I've thought about it a lot and I think the guest room next to ours would make an amazing nursery. I mean, I know it's the room that you set up for me to sleep in if I wanted some away time but if we're going to be living together and raising a little one then there's really no need for separate rooms."

Mark's entire face was consumed with a grin, "You... you really want to move in?" Jack shook his head and smiled, "Jack you have no idea how happy I am right now!" Mark grabbed his arms pulling him into his lap to hug him. 

"I've been working on another surprise, you know how I've been putting in so much time at the office lately?"

Jack did notice, it frustrated him because Mark had rarely been home the past two or three weeks. "Yeah, I know things are busy with your big secret project and everything."

"Well, about that... The reason I had Tyler move here is because he's going to be taking over as CEO. I'm stepping down from running the day to day operations and I'm going to be a silent owner." Jack gasped, this was a huge change, "Now, I'm still going to work at the shelters and do rescues but this frees up a ton of time so I can be home with you and the baby."

Looking at him with a discerning expression, "Stay at home? Are you expecting me to not work anymore?"

"Well, I thought after the baby came that you'd..." Jack cut him off.

"I'm not some stay at home wife to you Mark, I have a career too."

"I know, I just... shit, I'm sorry Jack. I just assumed you wouldn't want to travel the way you used to."

Jack's shoulders sank, he didn't think about the amount of travel he used to do and now not being able to handle planes after the incident, he was at a loss. "Maybe... maybe I should take a break for a while." The thought came out in a whisper, it's not that he was upset with the thought of staying home, it's just that he didn't want to give up his career all together.

Leaning back into Mark's arms, Jack played with the hem of Mark's green Reptar shirt he was currently wearing. Mark gladly wrapped his arms around the smaller man, rubbing his belly softly. "Whatever you decide, me and bumpasaurus here are right behind you. Now, we have a party that we've put off long enough to plan for."


	44. Hey Mom guess what...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mark confronts his mom

Week 14

"Alright...yeah... yeah... ok.... love you too mom, bye." Mark ended the call, turning to see Jack walking up behind him and wrapping his arms around his waist.

"So, did you talk to her. What did she say?" Jack asked as he nuzzled into Mark's neck inhaling his scent.

Pausing to think how he wanted to address this issue with Jack, he released a frustrated sigh. "Well.. I just.. she's not exactly..."

Jack dropped his arms from Mark's waist and stared at him with a blank expression, "You really didn't tell her did you? Mark, what the fuck man- she's your mom, don't you think she should know she's going to be a grandma in a few months?"

Grabbing Jack's hands once again trying to put them back on his waist just to have them pulled away again, he quickly realized he was on his way to the dog house with Jack by not telling his mom about the baby. Early that morning the two sat down and Skyped Jack's family to introduce Mark and tell them the big news. Jack's family were all ecstatic and warmly welcomed Mark into the family with open arms. Mark couldn't help but feel a tinge of hurt knowing his mom wouldn't be anywhere near as accepting of Jack and the baby.

"Honey, this is a complicated conversation to have with her. She's not exactly the most open minded person when it comes to her idea of how my life should be." He growled in frustrated and swept Jack up bridal style in his arms, taking him over to the couch. Mark sat with Jack in his lap, rubbing his growing belly, "I'm trying, alright. She's... she's just old and set in her ways. My mom's never been the most accepting of the fact that some men can bare children- I'm sorry, it's going to take me time to warm her up to the idea but I promise, I'll talk to her."

When Mark was about thirteen, his mom and dad sat him down for 'the talk' and laid their expectations and ideas on the table. His dad was much more open minded but his mom, on the other hand, stressed her personal beliefs as the only way for her boys. "Now Mark, I know you know at this point where babies come from but let me explain the correct path to family. The bible states that men should only choose women to bare children, regardless of any other evil temptations. These temptations were placed on this earth by Satan himself to lead men astray from following Gods wishes."

Mark remembered the conversation like it was yesterday, her insistence that the approximately 20% of the male population that could get pregnant were evil minions of the Devil to lure men to their death. He even had nightmares at one point during his later teen years once he developed feelings for one of his guy friends. Since, he repressed his emotions.. until Jack came along and broke that barrier down.

Jack waved his hand in front of Mark's face, "Hellooo... Earth to Mark." 

Shaking his head of the memories, Mark refocused on his boyfriend and the task at hand, "Sorry sweetheart, I kind of got caught up in thought there."

"Mark, we need to tell her. She's going to be a part of little bumpasaurus's life." He placed his hand on top of Mark's on his belly. "Let's just call her back and pull off the bandage quickly- it's up to her to accept it or not. Plus, don't you think she should know before we tell our friends tonight?"

"Alright... alright, you are right as usual." Mark slid Jack off his lap to sit next to him as he dialed him mom to facetime with her.

"Mark! Didn't we just talk dear? Is everything OK?" His mom appeared on the screen looking, at the moment, at Mark on her screen.

"Yeah, we did but I wanted to introduce you to someone." He held the phone back a bit further to add Jack into the image. "Mom, this is Jack."

Jack smiled and waved gaining a smile in return, "Oh Mark, you always have the sweetest friends. Hello Jack, are you one of Mark's gaming buddies or a work friend?"

"Well, I guess we got to know each other by playing games together." He looked over to Mark and lightly elbowed him in the side to continue.

Before Mark could continue, his mom chimed in again, "Oh, that's quite an accent! Is it Scottish or Irish... I bet the ladies just swoon for that here in America." She giggled as she razzed Jack. "My Mark is a real ladies man too, speaking of that how is Max doing- you two engaged yet?"

Mark grumbled under his breath in frustration under his breath, "Mom, we talked about this. Max and I are not together anymore, she's not... she wasn't the one."

"Well darling, I'm sure you'll have no trouble weeding through and finding the perfect one soon enough."

"Mom, that's what I'm trying to tell you.. I did find the perfect one." He put his arm around Jack and smiled.

Looking back and forth between the two, she still seemed confused. "A-are you dating one of Jack's friends or sister or.."

"No, mom. It's Jack... we're dating."

She sat for a moment with her mouth hanging open a bit seemingly processing the news, "No offence Jack but I'm glad my son is getting this out of his system before he settles down. Mark, just remember what I told you about the evil lurking out there."

Mark cut her off abruptly, "Mother, I need you to listen. I love Jack, he's it for me, he's the one I want to be with and you're going to need to accept that if you plan on being in your grandchild's life."

She gasped and her eyes widened, "Mark... please tell me this evil creature didn't seduce you into... oh god have mercy, you're not having a baby with this person are you?" Spitting venom as the realization hit her.

Looking over to Jack for the first time since his mother started talking, Mark quickly realized the effect her words had on him. Jack sat staring off with tears streaming down his face, "E-evil? I- I'm not... Mark, I'm not evil... why would she say that?" He started sobbing, getting up and running to the bathroom slamming the door.

"What the hell is wrong with you! Mom, there is nothing wrong with our relationship or him and if you want me or this child in your life then you need to accept the fact that I'm in love with Jack. I need to go undo what you just did to my boyfriend and the father of my child so until you change your mind- good bye mom." He ended the call to go comfort Jack.

Mark softly knocked on the door, hearing Jack sobbing on the other side. He opened the door, wiping his eyes and sniffling, "Hey, sorry about that. I'm sorry your mom hates me."

Wrapping his arms around Jack, kissing the top of his head, Mark tried to calm him a bit. "None of that, she's wrong about everything. This is why I avoided telling her, but it needed to be done. Listen to me, as long as she continues to think like that then she will have to live without me in her life because I refuse to be around anyone who can't whole heartedly accept you and our little bumpasaurus. Jack, you two are my life now and I will protect you both with every fiber of my being." he placed a few soft kisses to Jack's lips before kneeling down, kissing Jack's belly as well. "I love you my little dino." 

Jack giggled at the nickname, smiling down at Mark, "They said rawr back"


	45. Party with Friends

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The guys host a party with their friends to tell their news, Jack has a bad night.

Week 14

Music was blasting through the house as Mark and Jack work together to prepare dinner for their friends this evening. After a rather stressful talk with Mark's mom, the two needed to just relax and have some fun. After mulling it over for a bit they decided to make a variety of Chinese dishes ranging from pan fried dumplings to Szechuan chicken. Currently Jack was nibbling at the cucumber slices he had just cut up for the spicy garlic noodle dish he was working on.

"Maaark... how am I going to be able to wait for everyone to get here, everything smells so good." He made his way over to the counter where Mark was, peeking over his shoulder and stealing a piece of cooked steak.

Mark slapped his hand lightly giggling at Jack, "Honey, I know it's hard but just wait. I promise it'll be worth it." He slid his arm around Jack's waist, swaying him to the music. 

"I love it when we dance like this, something about it is just comforting." Jack sighed and leaned his head on Mark's shoulder but unbeknownst to Mark, Jack was sneaking another piece of steak behind his back.

Jack was begging almost as bad as Chica and Hazel, they were almost done anyway so Mark sent Jack to get ready while he finished up. Not long after, the first guests arrived. Wade, Molly, Bob and Mandy all arrived together, bringing a bottle of white wine to add to the party. Soon after Tyler and Ethan followed by Felix, Marzia, Robin and his girlfriend Kellie all trickled in within a few minutes of each other. The house was now bustling with chatter, laughter and glasses clinking together.

After a short bit, dinner was served. Mark and Jack sat together at the head of the rather large dinning table and gave each other a glance. Jack shook his head, smiling at Mark to go ahead with his little speech.

He tapped his glass with his fork to gain the attention of the others and cleared his throat from nervousness, "I'm so glad you all could join us this evening. We slaved over a hot stove all day so you all better appreciate this." He gain a laugh from everyone, he grabbed Jack's hand pulling him up with him, "We do have a few things we'd like to share with you this evening and since you all are so near and dear to both of us, we feel it's the perfect time. First off, some of you here know Tyler and Ethan but may be a bit surprised to see them here, that was my doing. I'm currently training Tyler to take over the head of operations for my company and I'm going to be taking a step back and becoming a silent owner." There were a few confused faces amongst their friends, "Please let me explain, it'll all make more sense in a moment. I want to focus my time and efforts more on the rescue side of things as well as spending more time at home- which brings me to my second thing. I was finally able to wear Jack down with my incessant whining and begging and he has agreed to move in with me." He turned to Jack and kissed his hand as their friends awed.

Jack chimed in for the last part, "Well, I guess that leaves me to let you know the third thing. We've been keeping it a secret for the past few weeks until things settled down and I'm surprised only one of you figured it out." He winked at Marzia earning a giggle from her and a confused look from Felix. "In just a few short months we will be adding a new member to our little group here, we're having a baby!" Their friends were shocked in the most happy way to hear the news, they all knew about the previous miscarriage so they understood about the wait. 

"No way, are you two really expecting?" Wade was shocked and thrilled. 

Yup, can't hide this much longer" Jack pulled up his baggy shirt with tiny dinosaurs printed on it a bit revealing a little baby bump sticking out already.

The rest of the evening went off without a hitch, everyone was congratulating the couple on their new advancements together and Mark and Jack couldn't have been happier.

Week 17

Mark couldn't sleep, he wasn't used to having so much free time on his hands. He sat downstairs on the couch with his earbuds in listening to music, trying to get his body to wind down. It was one in the morning, he should at least be a little tired.

Upstairs, Jack was startled awake by a sharp pain in his lower belly which left him almost breathless. He tried changing positions but to no avail, the pain just seemed to be getting worse. Laying on his side and curling his knees up toward his chest, Jack noticed Mark was missing from their bed, and at the worst time. He gritted his teeth and held his stomach from the pain, trying to call out for Mark, Jack only manager a whimper. Hazel jumped up on the bed with him but simply curled to his side to comfort him, Chica on the other hand was more frantic, pacing back and forth with a nervous whine.

Another wave of pain consumed him as he let out a moan, still not loud enough to draw attention from Mark. "Chica, Chica.. go get daddy. Go on girl, please get daddy" he begged with tears in his eyes, unable to move. At this point he was worried, flashbacks of the past haunted his thoughts.

Chica raced downstairs, skidding to a stop in front of Mark. She nudged his hand and let out a quiet but frantic borf which caught his attention.

"What's up girl, do you need to go outside." He sighed to get up, following the rather frantic dog. She led him to the stairs, "Come on Chica, outside is this way" He called her over but she was insistent on the stairs so he removed his earbuds to hear Jack's distress coming from their bedroom. Chica raced up the stairs, barking and urging Mark to follow.

Once he quickly reached their room, he flipped on the light to see Jack curled around Hazel in a ball crying out in pain. "Oh shit, Jack... Jack honey what's wrong." 

"It hurts so bad Mark, I don't know what's going on but it hurts."

"Ok, Ok, I gotcha. Just try to breath for me." Mark slipped on his house shoes and grabbed his keys and wallet, scooped up Jack in his arms to head to the hospital. He figured by time an ambulance got to the house he could already have Jack there.

He ran into the emergency room, cradling Jack in his arms and explaining the urgent situation to the nurse at the desk. She ushered them back to a room immediately to hook Jack up to the heart rate monitor as they wait on the ultra sound tech. Luckily the pain had subsided a bit but the nurse was having trouble finding the heartbeat, Jack just stared at the ceiling as he held Mark's hand. Mark on the other hand started to break down, letting out sobs and asking over and over again what was happening.

"I'm not sure just... wait, ok, there they are." She turned on the sound to the monitor letting the men hear the whooshing sound of the baby's heartbeat. Jack sobbed out loud as Mark leaned over and kissed his forehead repeatedly telling him it was ok and he needed to try to relax.

Moments later, the OB/GYN on call came in to do a check up on Jack and the baby to determine the cause of the pains. She was pretty quick to asses the situation, "Ok, Jack there's no need to worry. I know it's pretty intense right now but I promise it's normal. You have quite a small frame which leaves very limited room for the baby to grow, which in turn is forcing your ligaments to stretch at a very fast rate to accommodate your little bun. This can cause terrible pain as your body adjusts but I assure you it's just part of the package deal, the best we can do is Tylenol to help ease the pain and suggest warm baths to relax your muscles."

The men let out a simultaneous sigh of relief as the doctor continued, "While we're here we might as well take a look at the baby and see that everything looks normal, does that sound good?"

Jack shook his head with relief, "Sounds great, thank you so much. You have no idea how scared I was."

"I understand it can be quite scary, now this is going to be a bit cold." She squirted the gel onto the device hooked to the ultrasound monitor and placed it on Jack's belly moving it back and forth before the image came in as clear as possible. "There they are, two legs, two arms, one head and... would you like to know the sex of your baby?"

Mark and Jack looked at each other for a moment seemingly having a silent conversation between them, Jack shook his head, "No, I think we'll leave it a surprise." Mark smiled warmly at him, agreeing with the choice.

She snapped a few pictures and printed them out for the couple, "We're going to keep you hooked up to the monitors for a bit just to make sure but I don't see you having to stay long." With that she promised to return soon to check up on him and left the men alone in the room.

Mark stared at the small blurry pictures in his hand, "How can I possible love someone so much even though I've never met them?" 

Jack chuckled and let out another sigh of relief as he closed his eyes for a bit. Mark sat by his side, leaning towards his tummy and softly singing to their baby. The comforting sound lulled Jack right into a peaceful rest.


	46. Just for kicks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marzia and Jack work on designing the nursery

Week 22

Jack has been exhausted to say the least, he finally presented his final draft of the project he had been working on to the clients much to their approval. He was so glad to get to this level in the project because that meant he could hand off most of the remaining work to Robin without having to feel like he was just dropping it on his lap. He had decided at this point he didn't want to take on anymore until after the baby came and he decided he was ready to resume work... if he resumed work.

Marzia came over today to keep Jack company while Mark was out, plus she had some decorating ideas for the baby's room she wanted to run by Jack. 

"What do you think of this one?" She handed over a color swatch to Jack who was, at this point, sprawled out on the couch dipping the jalapeno peppers from his nachos into ketchup.

With a humm of satisfaction, he grabbed the swatch of color, "I really like that one, but maybe it's too... boyish. What if we have a girl?"

"Jack, what if you have a boy... if you want to go neutral maybe we need to choose a theme first" She tapped her chin for a moment before she gasped and hurriedly flipped through a few pages in a magazine. She landed on one and flashed it to Jack, "What about this?" 

 

Grabbing the magazine from Marzia, a huge smile came across Jack's face, "This... it's perfect Marzia! I just hope Mark loves it too. Maybe we should pick out wall colors to match before we show it to him."

He stared at the page donned filled with trees and scampering squirrels and bunnies, little cute birdies perched high in a nest all done in tans, yellows and greens. They decided to match it with pale yellow and green paint in a stripe pattern and set it aside for when Mark comes home. 

With that out of the way and an empty plate of nachos, Jack stretched and yawned. 

"Jack honey, how on earth did you eat all of those peppers without getting heartburn?" She giggled at his unusual appetite.

He simply shrugged his shoulders and smiled as Marzia threw a blanket over him, kissing his forehead. 

"Get some sleep and let me know what Mark has to say about the room." She gathered her papers spread over the coffee table and floor before leaving Jack to rest for the afternoon.

After about two hours, Jack awoke to the sound of the door opening and Mark calling for Chica and Hazel. "Come on girls, you ready for some dinner?" He looked over and saw Jack starting to stir but still mostly asleep. He put his finger to his lips as the girls excitedly gathered around his feet. "Shhhh, your other daddy is still sleeping"

He led the girls to the kitchen and put out some food for them, they munched away happily as Mark made his way over to the sleeping figure on the couch. He gently lifted his feet, sat down and placed them back across his lap to relax for a few before Jack woke up.

Just as he was nodding off a bit, Jack woke up with a stretch, "Hey sweetie, when did you get home?" He got up just to settle in on Mark's lap to snuggle and plant a few kisses to his lips.

"I've only been home for a bit, do anything fun today?"

"Yeah, actually. Marzia came over and we picked out a few things for the nursery- wanna see?" He said with a big grin.

Jack went over the pictures and swatches they had collected, showing them to Mark. They both chatted and laughed agreeing on the design. 

"Do you know how much I love you Jack?" He rubbed his hand up and down Jack's back lightly scratching.

Leaning into the feeling of Mark's hand, Jack hummed happily, "I love you too." He wrapped his arms around Mark's neck, pulling him into a sweet kiss... then turning it into a not so sweet kiss as he deepened their contact. Maneuvering round, Jack made his way to straddle Mark's lap, trailing kisses and bites down his neck.

"Ugh, Jack. You really want to get me started?" He whispered breathlessly as Jack continued his ministrations.

Jack giggled into the crook of Mark's neck and ran his hands under his shirt up his tanned chest, lightly circling his pert nipples. This gained him a moan and a buck of mark's hips against his own, "Definitely" 

Mark moaned as he bucked his hips up against Jack's ass again, suddenly Jack gasped and sat up with his eyes wide.

"Oh... oh Mark." His breathing was quick, he rested one hand on Mark's chest and the other on his stomach.

"W-what's going on, is everything ok?" Mark had a worried tone to his voice.

Jack sat silent for a moment before gasping again and grabbing Mark's hand, placing it on his stomach where his hand previously was.

"W-wait a sec... there! There it was again." A huge grin came across his face, "Oh Mark, that's them. That was the baby kicking!"

Mark sat up a little straighter, concentrating on trying to feel any sort of movement, "There?" He stared at Jack in wonder to which Jack shook his head. The two smiled and laughed in amazement just waiting for their baby to kick again. They were not disappointed, the mood was ruined but it was replaced by something completely different. 

Staying perched on Mark's lap, tears in their eyes as they stared at each other, "I can't wait to meet them Jack, to hold them, to love them."

"I know Mark, me too. C-could you maybe sing to the baby again, I love when you do that and I bet little bumpasaurus does too."

"I'll do anything for you two." Mark kissed Jack on the forehead, rubbed his belly once again and started lightly singing.


	47. Names

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mark and Jack discuss names

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this is a shorter one, I have a lot on my plate right now-no worries though, I'll be back in full swing soon enough

Week 28

At seven months pregnant, Jack was starting to really pop now. He stood in the mirror, once again, staring at his belly sticking out. He sighed and ran his hand along the bump, "Lookie at what you're doing to your daddy little one, I look like I'm smuggling a marshmallow."

"No, you look stunning." Mark came up behind Jack, resting his chin on Jack's shoulder and staring at him in the mirror as well. 

Jack laughed a little before sighing again, "I'm glad you think so but look at this thing, how is this even remotely attractive?" He lightly poked at his belly button which was starting to stick out.

Betting his fingers away from the protrusion, Mark rubbed his warm hands over Jack's belly in a circular motion which made Jack lean back against him. He started rocking back and forth lulling Jack into a comfortable silence as they stood enjoying each other's presence.

"So, Ive been thinking..." Mark said as he placed soft kisses along Jack's neck.

"That's a dangerous thing Fischbach."

"Do you have any names in mind yet?"

Jack closed his eyes, relishing in Mark's soft kisses and touches before he answered. "Yeah, maybe a few. How about you?"

"Same, maybe we should talk about it, ya know since it's getting close."

Turning in Mark's arms, Jack let his arms rest around his neck. "You go first, what if it's a boy?"

"For a boy, I really like the name Anthony or William maybe."

"Anthony I could live with but William... I know it's my middle name but I refuse to name my kid Billy, screw that name."

Chuckling and kissing Jack on the forehead Mark returned the question, "Ok, ok, understandable. How about you?"

"Well, I thought maybe we could name him after you, like Mark Edward Jr. or something. I also like Drew maybe. What about girl names?"

Mark thought for a moment, "How about Chloe or Emily?"

"I like Chloe... that's nice. I kinda like Amanda too."

Looking at Jack in his arms, Mark reached up and ran his fingers lightly through his hair enjoying the softness of it. "So what about a last name, if we hyphenate it, the poor kid will have a hell of a time in kindergarten."

Jack stilled, eyes wide, "I...I haven't even thought of that yet. I mean of course I'd like them to have my last name but..."

"I know, I'd also like them to have my last name." He placed a finger under Jack's chin which connected their eyes, "I'd like it if both of you had my last name."

"M-Mark, I really.. I just..."

Mark sighed with a soft smile on his face, "I know, I know. Just throwing it out there I guess."

"One thing at a time sweet cheeks."

Week 30

"Listen, he's had a really rough day today. One of the rescue's didn't go well and the poor thing died on the operating table. Mark was devastated." Molly was giving Jack a heads up about the terrible day mark had at the shelter before he got home. There was an accident involving two dogs versus a truck, needless to say it didn't go as planned.

"Hey Molls, thanks for the heads up. I'll think of something to cheer him up tonight." 

"He's coming back from grabbing lunch, I'll talk to you later." Molly hung up as Mark sulked his way back through the door of the shelter. 

At home, Jack sat on the couch with a bowl of cereal balanced on top of his stomach and Hazel laying on his feet. "What do you think I should do for daddy tonight girls, he's feeling down today." Chica popped her head up from bed, cocking it to the side.

"I think maybe a trip to the store is in order don't ya think." Just as he finished his sentence, the bowl jumped a bit, indicating a kick in approval. This made Jack chuckle as he thought of the best way to take Mark's mind off of things and help him relax.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What do you think Jack is going to do to cheer Mark up. Also, anyone want to throw out some name suggestions?


	48. Relaxation time for Mark

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jack sets up a relaxing evening for Mark before Mark gets hit with some bad news

Week 30

Mark came trudging through the door that evening, head held low and in an all around sour mood. He wanted nothing more than to just skip dinner and crawl into bed but Jack had other plans for him. As he stepped into their house he noticed it was a lot more quiet than normal and that there were some new lights in the backyard. Mark decided he should go investigate.

He made his way outback and noticed Chica laying on her bed that had been moved out there along with what seems to be a blanket fort. Shaking his head and chuckling to himself, Mark knew that this had to be Jack's doing, after all, who else would set up a fort in their backyard. He rounded the pool to the grassy area on the other side and peeked his head around the back of the structure that was being held up by poles in the ground along with rope draped with blankets to see inside. Mark was pleasently surprised to see Jack had covered the ground with blankets and pillows, strung small white lights on the inside and even set up a laptop playing a video of a fireplace to set the mood.

"Don't just stand there, come in and join the party." Jack giggled from his place on the ground, propped up by pillows and Hazel.

"This certainly looks cozy, what's the occasion?" Mark stepped in, plopping down next to Jack then laying on his side to face him.

"Nothing really, just heard you had a rough day and wanted to do something nice to show you that you are loved, that's all."

"You really didn't have to do this ya know."

Jack smiled and moved over to lay Mark's head in his lap, "I know, but I wanted to. I was going to cook but ran out of time so I just got a pizza instead. Hope that's alright."

Mark smiled and adjusted his body to find a comfortable spot, "No, that's perfect. Thank you." 

Jack noticed that he still seemed down, running his fingers through the black silky hair he smiled down at Mark. "This isn't all I have planned, later if you're up to it I thought I could give you a nice massage and see where things go from there."

Mark hummed in satisfaction and closed his eyes, "I like that idea but I don't want you to push yourself, the baby is getting so big and I don't... ok, don't get me wrong here... I really want to make love to you because, look at you, you're gorgeous, but I don't want to hurt you or the baby."

Laughing a bit at Mark, Jack continued carding his fingers through his hair to calm him, "Don't be silly, you're not going to hurt us. We just may have to get a little creative on the positions we choose but Mark, it's been a few weeks and I really want you. I've just... I don't know, I've been like incredibly horny lately and I can't stop thinking about the way you make me feel."

Sitting back up, Mark leaned close to Jack's side and laid his head on his shoulder, "Really now, what exactly do you think about?"

"How about we eat dinner first and I'll show you" Jack kissed the top of Mark's head, inhaling his scent then turned to grab the box of pizza along with some drinks. He shooed Hazel out to go lay with Chica and closed the makeshift blanket door to the fort so they could have a little privacy.

"Oh, I almost forgot" Jack stood up, his head barely hitting the top of the blankets, and pulled back the layer on the top revealing the night sky. "I know how much you love looking at the stars and even though LA's not the best place to stargaze I thought we might enjoy what we could see."

The two ate their pizza in near silence, Mark didn't really want to talk about his day and Jack didn't want to bring it up either. With the calming atmosphere, the silence wasn't uncomfortable, it simply added to the relaxation. Once done, Mark laid back into the pillows to stare up to the sky, Jack snuggled into his side and draped his arm over Mark's waist. They stayed like that for a bit enjoying each other's company until Jack's fingers started to wander across Mark's firm chest and down his stomach. He first traced patterns which quickly turned to light scratches that are now making their way under Mark's shirt. 

Mark glanced down to see Jack looking back at him with starry eyes and a dusting of rose across his cheeks, he looked simply radiant with the string of lights reflecting in his bright eyes. He leaned down and placed a soft kiss to Jack's light pink lips relishing in their soft gentle touch against his own. He felt Jack relax even farther in his arms and let out a content breath.

"Do you think I could take a raincheck on that backrub? I don't know if I can hold off much longer, Jack, I need you." He kissed Jack again with a little more fervor, "Let me make love to you"

Jack shook his head and smiled up at him, "Sit up for me love"

Mark did as he asked and Jack propped him up with a large pile of pillows so he was in a slightly reclined position. He reached over to the laptop, turning on some soft music then mounted Mark's lap, facing away from him.

Jack leaned back against Mark's chest, still on his knees, as strong arms wrapped around him. "I like where this is going already." Mark whispered into the crook of his neck as his littered it with kisses. Giving a soft hum in response, Jack rolled his body against Mark's to the beat of the music, essentially giving him a lap dance, well, as good of one as an almost eight month pregnant man can give. Regardless, the motion and soft moans did all the right things to Mark.

"Just lay back for me and let me take your mind off of things for a bit." Jack continued with his sensual movements as he removed his shirt and then reached behind him to help strip Mark of his as well. Mark ran his fingers down the pale expanse of Jack's back enjoying the flex of his lean muscles as he moved.

Regardless of the extra weight he was carrying, Jack was still incredibly lean and agile and could move with such grace that it amazed Mark to watch him. Jack removed himself from Mark's lap to remove more of their clothing, the closer they got the more the atmosphere heated up in the small fort. Sitting on all fours, Jack leaned down to mouth over Mark's cock that was already straining to get out of its confines, sucking at the head through the cotton of his underwear. He could already taste the slight saltiness of Mark's precum through the fabric as Mark let his head hit the pillows behind him with a groan.

"Why must you tease me like this" Mark stared up at the sky relishing in the warmth of Jack's mouth on his cock as he helped Mark slip out of his underwear, taking as much in his mouth as he could. God he was happy this was a constant craving of Jack's throughout his pregnancy, not only did Jack get what he craved but Mark... well, we all know Mark was happy with what he got.

The more Jack worked his cock, sucking and changing pressures with his hand, the more Mark's toes curled into the blankets. It was getting hard for him to hold off at this point so he grabbed Jack's hair and lightly pulled him off to kiss him deeply. 

"You keep doing that and we won't get much further, I still want to make you feel good too. Tell me what you need."

"I need you to just lay back and relax, let me do the work."

How on Earth could Mark complain about that, he chuckled and laid back, keeping his eyes glued to his lover. Jack stripped the rest of his clothing and straddled Mark once again facing away from him, "Hold me like you did before" he leaned his back against Mark's chest.

"Don't I need to prep you or.... oh..." Mark's eyes went wide as Jack sunk down, enveloping his member entirely. They both let out a collective moan. Mark's voice was quiet and shaky, "Never mind then, seems you already handled things"

"Yeah, I didn't want you to have to worry about anything tonight, just enjoy yourself." He quickly fell into a rhythm, rocking back against Mark, meeting his hips and enjoying a fullness he had been missing for too long. They both got what they needed at that moment in time and connected in a way they had been longing for.

Week 34

Time was drawing closer and closer quicker than the two had anticipated, the nursery was nearly done and they were ready to start filling it with clothes and toys. Mark had been up late shopping online for a few specialty items when he received a call he wasn't expecting.

"Charles, slow down and tell me what I can do to help." Mark tried to keep his voice low and quiet so he didn't wake Jack who had been simply exhausted lately. Acting as an oven and cooking a baby was hard work.

Located at the shelter outside of Tampa, Florida, Charles was dealing with tons of work of his own. "Mark, this is the second hurricane in two weeks, I can't keep up with the amount of rescues down here. I need more help, every free volunteer has either worked their hands to the bone or has their own issues to tend to."

Mark roughly ran his fingers through his hair in frustration, he knew what he needed to do but with Jack being so close to his due date it worried him. "I know, I know, I just... I'm expecting Jack to go into labor within the next few weeks and I hate to leave and fly all the way to Florida."

"How much longer does he have?" 

He could sense the desperation in Charles's voice, "Less than six weeks... I guess it's still far enough off that one week couldn't hurt."

"Thank you man, I owe you so much. I have to go sandbag the shelter, too bad my house is already standing in water because this next one is going to be worse."

"I'll try to get there before the hurricane hits so we can be ready with a boat as soon as it passes. Just, hang in there, help is on the way." This was going to be a tough pill for Jack to swallow, his nerves were already through the roof and now Mark was about to hit him with the news that he had to go to directly into a hurricane to attempt rescues for a week. This wasn't going to go over well.


	49. Breaking the news

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mark had to break the news to jack about going to Florida

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is not related to the story but look at the little bean in my profile picture! Jack's show was incredible and I'm so proud of him. It was almost like a TED talk where he incorporated inspirational messages into live video game play. He is truly gifted with words.

Week 34

While Jack was out with Robin, Mark sat at home with Bob and Wade playing games. "Shit, that guy just headshot me... Wade, I thought you had my back here." Mark groaned out.

"I did, I just saw a car go by and got distracted" Wade did his best to shoot back at the other player but got himself and Bob both killed off in the process thus ending their round.

"Damn it Wade, we're gonna need to get you some gaming classes or something." Bob razzed his friend about the loss.

Mark grew quiet for a moment before turning to his two closest friends for advice, "Guys, I need some advice."

"Go on buddy, you know we're here for you." Urged Bob seeing the nervousness in his friends eyes.

"Well, you guys know Charles that runs the shelters down in Florida? He called about the hurricane that's supposed to hit this weekend and said he was desperate for help down there. I can't not go and help, I'm just worried how Jack will take the news."

Looking at Mark like he had to have been kidding with them, Wade questioned his sanity. "So, you think that your very pregnant boyfriend will just accept the fact that you are going to fly into a hurricane and assist with rescues way across the country leaving him at home alone?"

Shrugging and looking for an answer, "Well, when you put it that way..."

Bob did intervene at that point, "Mark you must be out of your damned mind to think that Jack is going to let you do this without a fight. He needs you right now."

"I know, but I'm needed there too. They have a mess on their hands with just getting devastated with the hurricane and then another barreling down on them... there's no one else to go out and do these rescues. At least I know Jack has people here that can help if he needs it but those animals, they are completely at our mercy." At this point Mark was pacing back and forth trying to convince, not only Wade and Bob, but himself that leaving was the right thing to do.

"I'll go too. I can't stand the thought of leaving them without any help down there." Wade chimed in looking to Bob.  
Bob sighed in return shaking his head, "Yeah, I guess the next week looks pretty slow at work and that leaves me here to help out with Jack. Plus there's Mandy, Molly and everyone else that can pitch in. Jack has a big heart, I'm sure he'll understand."

Jack didn't understand.

"YOU WHAT?"

Later that night, the two rested on the couch, munched on popcorn and watched a movie. Mark paused it to have the conversation he was dreading.

"Honey please calm down and hear me out..." Mark did his best to diffuse the situation.

"Calm down, CALM DOWN? Mark, do you even hear yourself right now? You're asking me to calm down after you tell me you're flying into a fucking hurricane? How... how do you even expect me to react to this?"

Rubbing his hands up and down Jack's shoulders, Mark tried to calm him. "Please understand, I'm doing this as a last resort and if it weren't an emergency I wouldn't even consider it. Jack, this is something I have to do."

Tears were welling up in Jack's eyes, he was a hormonal wreck to say the least, "I... I can't even go with you to make sure you're ok Mark. There's no way I can fly being this far along, not to mention how terrified I am of planes now thanks to that bastard." He thought momentarily about the hijacking he was involved in, though it seemed so long ago it still haunted him and he had the scar to prove it.

"I know it sounds bad but I'll be fine, if I leave in the morning then I'll get there in plenty of time to get things prepared for after the storm."

Jack let his body rest against Mark's as strong arms wrapped around him. He rested his chin on Mark's shoulder muffling his next words, "I love you... what if something goes wrong?"

Letting out a large sigh, Mark teetered between nervousness and relief, "I love you too and everything will be fine. I'll have Wade there with me helping and you have everyone here to help you if you need it." He lifted Jack's chin to look at him, "I have too much to loose not to come back. I promise, it will be quick then I'll be back home and it can be just the three of us." He heard the girls whimper in the background right on cue, "Yeah, yeah, and you two as well." Mark didn't know if he was trying to convince Jack or himself anymore, he just hoped everything would work out.

Jack placed a firm kiss to Mark's lips, "Don't fuck this up, we need you. Now go be a damn hero and stuff." He let a small smile play across his lips before kissing Mark again.

They laid in bed that night holding each other closer than usual, nervous energy plaguing their sleep. Jack laid on his side with a pillow between his knees with Mark behind him as he pretended to sleep. Throughout the night, he felt light kisses between his shoulder blades and soft confessions of love being whispered against his back. He knew it was a difficult choice for Mark to leave right now and he hoped it was the right choice.

Mark had booked a flight for ten that morning and would be gone five days if all went according to plan. He knew it was probably a day or two longer than needed but he wanted to be sure they had everything under control at the shelters before he returned to LA. After watching the latest updates, it was decided they would need more hands than originally thought since the storm had been upgraded to a category 5 hurricane, so Molly and Ethan decided to tag along as well. It couldn't hurt having an extra vet on board.


	50. Fly away

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mark leaves for Florida and Felix comes to comfort Jack

Week 35 

That morning marked the start of a new week and a new adventure as Mark placed a few articles of clothing in his bag. "Well, I think that should do it. Can you think of anything I might be missing?"

"Honestly no, I have no idea what kind of conditions things will be in there so I don't exactly know what to suggest. Hell, for all I know you'll be waist deep in water all week..." Jack trailed off into silence as his thoughts caught up with his words. A painful knot formed in his stomach which he pushed down to stay strong until Mark left. This wasn't right, this was going to go terribly wrong and Mark was going to come back hurt, or not at all. Jack took a deep breath in, wiped a stray tear from his cheek and turned back to Mark with a fake smile plastered on his face.

"I know this look sweetheart, what's on your mind?" Placing his hands on Jack's face and wiping another rogue tear from his soft cheeks, Mark could see the look of concern Jack was trying so hard not to show.

"Mark..." He whispered and leaned into the warm body welcoming him in. Jack felt another pang in his stomach, whether it was concern or the feeling of anger at the situation, he repressed it once again. "I... I love you and I just want you to hurry back home."

Kissing Jack's forehead softly, Mark whispered into his hair, "I know, I'll be home before you know it then I can resume my duties of getting you ice cream at three in the morning. I love you so much." He placed another soft kiss to Jack's apple scented hair before kneeling down in front of him and lifting his shirt revealing a very swollen belly. "And you my little trouble maker, take it easy on daddy while I'm gone. I love you and I promise I will call and sing to you as much as I can." He kissed Jack's belly a few times before leaning his cheek against it just resting there for a moment or two. 

Kick

Kick

Mark beamed in pride and stared up to Jack after the nudges against his face were felt by the two. "I think they're looking forward to the nightly songs" Jack acknowledged the moment with a smile.

After bidding a farewell to both and then smothering the doggies with kisses and belly scratches, Mark was on his way to the airport with Wade, Molly and Ethan.

Once the door shut, Jack couldn't hold back any longer. The tears were merciless as they spilled out one after another, breaking through his emotional walls and cascading to the light fabric of his shirt. He immediately picked up the phone and dialed it, listening to it ring once, twice, three times before he heard a response from the other line. At this point, Jack was an emotional wreck, sobbing his words into the phone, "I need someone, can you come over please? And for fucks sakes bring ice cream."

"Yeah, I'll be right there" Felix knew when his best friend was hurting and without question he dropped what he was doing to head over to Jack and Mark's house. He was there within half an hour, frozen pint in his hand as he knocked on the door. Jack answered groggily all wrapped up in a blanket, tear stained cheeks and all.

Felix's eyes went wide, "Jack? What the fuck is happening, where's Mark? Did he do something to you, did you get in a fight? Where the fuck is he...."

"No, no Felix, we're ok. Mark had to go on an emergency rescue and I... fuck man, I don't want him to go." He sniffled a few times feeling the emotional turmoil welling up again.

Letting out a sigh of relief Felix opened his arms offering a hug, to which Jack dropped his blanket and embraced his best friend the best he could around his protruding belly.

"Holy shit man you look like you're smuggling a ham. How long has it been since I've seen you?"

Jack giggled a bit, he had really grown a lot in the past few weeks and with Felix being busy they hadn't gotten a chance to spend time together. "I know, and my back is killing me. Wanna see something weird." Jack was always wearing sweats lately since they fit comfortably under his belly, he lifted his shirt to show his baby bump off.

"Can, can I touch it?" Felix was hesitant, he really didn't know how to act around someone this pregnant. He felt like he was going to break him or something.

"Knock yourself out Fe, here.." He grabbed Felix's hand, placing it high on the side of his belly and waited... there was a wave of movement as Felix could see his friend's stomach adjusting.

"I- is that... holy shit man, that's freaky! I'm gonna be an uncle." He smiled, looking at his friend who was simply radiating.

"Yup, in just a few short weeks too."

"You know Marzia and I have been talking about doing this too, I guess I'm just scared of the thought of being responsible of another person like that. Damn it, I still feel like a kid myself." Felix grabbed two spoons and the ice cream, making his way over to the couch.

"I know what you mean, but I really don't have much of a choice at this point. I guess I'm just scared something's going to happen to Mark while he's out of town... god, what would I do Fe. I'm not equipt to do this on my own." His lip started trembling again, there was that feeling in his gut returning, just painfully squeezing his insides.

"Jack, don't think like that, how long is he going to be gone for?"

Placing a large spoon full in his mouth, Jack mumbled, "Five whole fucking days..."

"Well, that's not so bad and if you want, you can stay with us. Marzia would love to fuss over you." Felix rubbed his shoulder to comfort him.

"He's flying to Florida, straight into a fucking hurricane, it is that bad." Jack deadpanned.

"Oh... oh shit, sorry man." Felix knew the danger Mark was putting himself into and why Jack was such a mess over it but he knew he needed to not worry his friend anymore than necessary. "Still, why don't you pack a bag, gather the dogs and let's party at my place for the week. I'm sure Mark can handle himself just fine." He hoped him and Marzia could keep Jack's mind off of worst case scenarios.

After taking an unreasonably long time gathering his things, Jack made his way back downstairs where Felix waited with the dogs already on their leashes. "Ready princess?" Felix razzed a rather slow moving Jack.

"Just a sec, I need to sit down. My back is killing me." Jack was a bit short of breath and in more pain than he cared for but it passed rather quickly.

At Felix's house, Marzia, who was given a heads up while Jack was getting ready, was waiting with a warm blanket and a cozy fire in the fireplace. "Hey Jack, how are you feeling?"

"Not too bad considering I'm a blimp right now, thanks." He was promptly wrapped in a blanket, shoes removed, feet propped up and handed a warm cup of tea. 

Marzia thrived off of hosting and caring for others so the thought of a very pregnant Jack staying with them just made her shine. They chatted for a bit, catching Marzia up on all of the details of Mark's absence as Jack looked at the clock noting the time.

"He should be about halfway there by now, I just.." He sucked a sharp breath in through his teeth. "Shit... everytime I think of it I just feel a pain in my stomach, like worrying about him is physically hurting."

"Jack, how long have you been feeling that?" Marzia was showing concern.

"Ummm, the past few hours on and off. It seems to be happening more frequently lately."

"Oh honey, not to worry you but are you sure you're not starting to go into labor?"

Jack sat in concerned silence for a moment, "It never hit me but I... I think I am."

Felix jumped up, "Oh shit, I'm not ready to be an uncle!"

"Calm down boys, let's head to the hospital and get checked out."

"N-no, I can't do this without Mark here..."

Marzia placed her hands on Jack's shoulders staring him straight in the eyes, "Like it or not, this baby will wait for no one. It's better if we have you looked at to be safe- now, I need you to stay calm for you and your baby's sake."

Jack looked to the ground in defeat and shook his head, he knew something like this would happen if Mark left and now he had no way to contact him over the next few hours.


	51. Labor Day?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jack's in labor and Mark needs to find a lift home.

Week 35

Felix damn near skidded into the parking lot in record time, he was probably the most high strung of the three of them. "Yesss, rock star parking" He threw his fists up in the air after quickly snagging a very close spot. Jack and Marzia were too busy in the back seat to notice, "Jack, you need to calm your breathing. Here watch me" Marzia breathed in and out calmly trying to get Jack to match. This wasn't the first time she'd been through this with friends so she definitly knew what she was doing.

By time Felix returned with a wheelchair, the contraction had passed. This was probably the strongest of all of then so Jack had tears in his eyes, but not just from the pain, "Shit, I- I can't do this right now. Not without Mark here. Please don't let this be happening now." he whined but it didn't change the fact that the contractions kept coming.

Felix helped him into the chair as Marzia ran ahead to give the emergency room nurse a heads up. As Jack was wheeled through the doors, he was immediately ushered into a room to be hooked up to the heart monitors and such. The nurses scurried around checking his vitals as they retrieved the ultra sound machine, "Jack, your heart rate is too high, I need you to breath and calm down." one nurse spoke calmly to him while rubbing his arm. Jack complied the best he could with shaky breaths and tears.

Once they were ready to do the ultrasound Marzia quickly grabbed Jack's hand for support and ran her fingers through his hair in comfort. "I know I'm not Mark but I'll do my best for you sweetie, you know I love you like you were my own family." Jack looked to her and nodded as the cold gel was placed on his belly, he let out the first calming sigh he could muster since the arrived and closed his eyes.

The ultrasound tech spoke up, "Ten fingers, ten toes and a strong heartbeat, the baby looks great." he turned on the sound to go with the image so they could all hear the beat out loud. Jack broke down again in relief.

After removing the remainder of the gel from Jack's belly, the tech spoke again, "Your doctor has been called and will be here shortly, here's your buzzer for the nurses just press this button if you have another strong contraction."

The plane touched down right as the sun settled low in the sky, the flight there was long but happily uneventful. Mark, Ethan, Wade and Molly all retrieved their luggage and made their way sluggishly towards the exits to grab an Uber to their destination. "Hey, anyone have any battery left on their phone, I want to check up on Jack?" Mark asked as he grumpily stuffed his phone back in his pocket. Everyone shook their heads no. "damn it, looks like I'll be waiting until the hotel then."

After a short ride to the hotel, the group checked in and headed to their rooms to rest up before the storm hits in the morning. Mark immediately plugged in his phone so he could check on how things were at home. As soon as the phone came to life, "Holy shit", one after another notifications came rolling in.

They flashed by so fast that he only caught snippets of what they were saying but he knew it wasn't good.

'Jack'  
'pain'  
'baby'  
'labor'

That was enough for Mark, he frantically dialed Jack's phone to get ot the bottom of this barrage of messages. "Hello?" a soft sweet voice answered Jack's phone.

"Marzia? W-where's Jack, what's going on?"

"Mark... Mark! I cannot believe you would leave this poor boy at a time like this. He's so close to being due for goodness sakes, he needs you right now!" Marzia understood Mark's want to go and help with the issues down in Florida but at the same time, she didn't.

Mark was floored to hear her like this, it must be serious to break Marzia's sweet exterior. "I, I didn't know he... Jack still has a few weeks left, what's going on?"

He heard a sigh from Marzia before she explained, "He was having labor pains even before you left, he must not have told you. We're at the hospital now waiting to find out if he's having the baby right now or not. Mark, you need to be here for him, he keeps saying he can't do it without you- he needs you now more than ever."

"Shit... why did I leave him?" Mark let out a frustrated huff, "Can I talk to him?"

Marzia took the phone back in the room with Jack, who seemed relatively calm for the moment, "Sweetie, I have someone on the phone who wants to talk to you." She handed Jack's phone to him.

"Hello?"

"I know I said I'd never leave you and I did, can you forgive me?" Mark sounded broken, he had pulled out his laptop and started looking up return flights.

Jack let out a small sob, "Mark, I wish so much that you were here right now. Please don't make me do this without you."

"I know, I know. I really should have just sent a team out here instead of coming myself. I guess I just lost sight of what needs to be at the top of my priority list, nothing should come before you two. I'm so sorry my love."

"Please just come home" Jack sounded like he was keeping his emotions together pretty well but Mark couldn't see the tears.

"I'm looking at flights now and with the storm hitting it's not looking good, I'll do my best to get there as soon as possible. Hang in there for me." Mark was scrolling through every airline he could think of, he had already planned on heading to the airport and waiting for cancelations.

"Listen Jack, I love you so much but I need to talk to the others so I will call you as soon as I can. If anything happens please call me, ok?" 

"I love you Mark, please stay safe."

"Love you too my little clover, tell bumpasaurus to stay put until papa gets there."

Jack giggled a bit before hanging up, the call lifted his spirits a bit but worried him at the same time. How on Earth is Mark going to get home?

Mark ran next door and frantically started knocking on Wade and Molly's door. "Hey man what's..." before Wade could even finish, Mark interrupted.

"Jack's in labor, I need to get home now."


	52. The baby's not going to wait

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just like it says, the baby waits for no one, not even their papa

The group sat in the hotel room on laptops and phones desperately trying to find any flights out of Florida for Mark to catch but unfortunately flights were starting to be canceled left and right. He knew he needed to act quick to get out of there and back to Jack but he was running out of options.

Wade sighed sitting back against the back of the bed, "I don't know, maybe we rent you a car and you start driving away from the hurricane."

Mark looked up from his phone, "That's actually not a bad idea but I'm not sure how far I'd make it before the storm hits." He lets out an unamused chuckle, "I think I have another idea, it's not going to be fun but it's an option."

Ethan decided to keep an eye on the storm which had picked up speed, "Mark, I hate to tell you but we're only about four hours out from this hitting so if you're getting out anytime soon..."

"I know, thanks Ethan" Mark reluctantly dialed the phone.

"Well, well, well, so to what do I owe the pleasure?" the sultry voice on the other end chuckled out.

Mark bit the bullet, "Listen Max, I need a favor..."

Felix paced the room waiting for the doctor to arrive, things have been relatively quiet with Jack- outside of the contractions. Seems talking to Mark really calmed him down and helped him stay relaxed.

A knock at the door, "Ah, Jack! The little one decided to be impatient on us?" Dr. Conrad walked through the door with a bright, yet tired smile on her face.

"Yeah, they've been doing flips all day." Jack said with a polite but saddened tone which the doctor did not miss. She looked around the room to Felix sitting at a small table and Marzia standing at Jack's side.

Dr. Conrad, or Holly, did notice someone missing, "Is Mark on his way?" Last she heard things were great between them so she had no reason to think he wasn't involved anymore.

"Yes.... no... Honestly I don't know." Jack started to tear up as his voice broke. "He went to Florida to help with an animal shelter during the hurricane so I don't know if he's going to be able to get here anytime soon."

"I'm so sorry Jack, looks like you have a great support team here to help you out. So when was the last contraction?" Holly went over to check out Jack, placing her hands on his belly to feel the tightness.

Marzia chimed in, "I've been watching and they are about eight minutes apart right now with no signs of slowing." 

Holly raised her brows, "That close? Jack, from the looks of things we may have to do this within the next couple of hours. I was hoping this was maybe a case of Braxton Hicks but it looks like this ones going to make their debut a few weeks early."

Letting his head hit the pillow, Jack let out a frustrated sound, "I, can't we hold off a bit until Mark gets here. I can't let him miss his own child being born."

"Unfortunately we can't make that call, this is completely up to the baby. I'll keep a close watch and see if we can hold off a bit but we can't put you two in any danger." Holly rubbed Jack's hand in comfort but she knew this was probably going to happen sooner rather than later.

The line was silent for a moment, "A favor you say? What's in it for me?" Max seemed pretty non interested in doing any favors for Mark considering the status of their previous relationship.

"I'll make it up to you, I don't know how but I will. Are you willing to help me or not?" Mark was pacing around the room knowing that all eyes were on him right now in disbelief.

Molly leaned over to Wade, "He really called Max for this?" Wade shrugged just as surprised as her.

"Who the hell is Max?" Ethan chimed in.

"We'll explain it later."

"Fine Mark, what it it you're needing?" Max sounded frustrated but rather happy she had an upper hand.

"I need a plane, I know you have connections in Florida to private jets and I need a ride out of here now." Mark was very straight forward.

"Oh dear, stuck in a storm are we. Why wouldn't I just leave you there to ride out the storm?" She said rather teasingly.

"Damn it, if I have to spell it out I'm having a baby. Like right now, well, my boyfriend is and I need to be there but all of the flights here are being canceled. Please Max, if you have a heart help me here." Mark gave in and was practically begging.

Silence, Max was shocked at not only the news of Mark having a baby but having a baby with another man. "I... I had no idea you... fine, I'll help just head to the airport and I'll have someone waiting.. and Mark, you don't owe me anything, just get there."

Mark plopped down to the bed with a relieved huff, "Thank you Max, thank you."

"Please don't mention it, I'm doing it for the baby- not you."

Another contraction hit, harder and faster than the last few, Jack let out a pained yell as the doctor rushed in. His breathing was all over the place and he was damn near breaking Marzia's hand clinching it. 

Holly swung open the doors, looking at jack and then to the monitors, "Jack, Jack, I need you to calm down and breath. Your heart rate is way out of control and you're starting to put stress on the baby." She quickly adjusted the baby's monitor searching for their heartbeat as well.

She shook her head and tried again, then again, "Jack, I don't want to alarm you but we need to go into surgery now. You two are going into distress. There's no holding off any longer."

Marzia went in with Jack in Mark's place, "I need you to breath with me and let the medicine work, I know this isn't how you imagined but soon enough you'll have both Mark and your baby here with you and things will be fine."

Jack let a small smile grace his face momentarily before his breathing picked up again, very rapidly and strained this time. 

"Doctor, doctor, what's happening?" Marzia finally broke her cool and calming demeanor.

Jack's breathing wasn't the only issue, he seemed to be completely out of it at the moment, heartrate erratic, breathing labored, as he reacted adversely to the medications given before the c-section. Soon, all Jack could hear was the echo of frantic footsteps and the doctor yelling that they needed to move now. He seemed to fade in and out of consciousness catching pieces of what was happening, his body was numb to everything except hearing sounds. 

"Distress"  
"Danger"  
"Baby's heartrate dropping"  
"We're loosing him"  
The faint echo of a baby crying and then nothing...


	53. Congratulations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's here, I may make an epilog to this but here's the ending.

Jack was floating again, meandering through the stars and planets as comets drift by leaving their trail of space stuff behind. The atmosphere wasn't scary, even though he wasn't in control of where he drifted he was never afraid. Instead, it was comforting, sort of like a warm hug or a snuggle in a blanket on a cold morning. Then he heard it again, that sweet, sweet lulliby beconing him closer. So melodic, so comforting.

Naturally Jack was drawn to the sweet intoxicating sound that surrounded him and shrouded his mind to where it was all he could focus on. The sound drifted through the very atmosphere he was floating in, pulling him closer and closer....

His eyes fluttered open slowly just as he was about to touch the source, the glow that was emitting the beautiful tone. Jack didn't move for a moment, letting his eyes adjust to the dim light and white tiles above him. Only did he move his head when he heard a light gasp and the melody stop.

In a soft whisper, he heard, "Hey, looks like daddy's awake."

Jack turned his head to see what seemed like a dream, it couldn't be real life could it? Mark sat at his bedside, cradling a small white bundle of blankets in one hand and a bottle in the other. "Look sweetheart, look who it is." Mark scooted closer to the bed, turning the bundle towards Jack and revealing a tiny sleepy baby still trying to suckle for its bottle that got pulled away in surprise.

"Mark, how did you... am I dreaming?" he was cut short by his dry throat. 

"Shhhh, it's ok, I'm here now. Here, take a sip of water for me and I'll call the nurse." Mark sat down the bottle to offer Jack a drink which to took earnestly.

"Wait, before you call, are they... is everything..."

Settling the bundle in the crook of Jack's arm and raising the head of his bed a bit, Mark smiled, "She's perfect."

Jack just stared down at the tiny fragile baby he cradled in his arms, "S-she? Mark..." He couldn't help it, he didn't know if it was pride, relief, happiness, pain but he cried. He kept trying to blink the tears away so he could focus on his daughter in his arms but the tears came quicker than he could keep up with.

Mark leaned forward to kiss Jack on the forehead and help wipe away the tears, "You did good darling, I'm so proud of you." another kiss to Jack's temple, "I'm sorry I left, I'm so sorry I wasn't there for you two." Mark now rested his cheek against Jack's shoulder just staring at their daughter as well.

Letting out a sigh of relief and disbelief, Jack rubbed his thumb across the baby's cheek, "You're here now.. you're both here now. Mark, she's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen." Mark nodded in agreement before standing and grabbing the bottle.

"I know, me too. It's amazing, we did this Jack. We made this... this perfect little person together." He sat on the edge of Jack's bed and held the bottle to their baby's mouth so she could finish eating while the two sat in awe of her.

It wasn't but a few comfortably silent moments later that the nurse entered the room to find Jack awake, "Oh, Jack. Welcome back, you gave us all quite a fright there." The short, pudgy and greying nurse, Penny, came over to check Jack's vitals and call the doctor. 

"How long was I out?" Jack got a concerned look on his face not knowing how long it had been since the baby was born.

Penny looked to the clock and stood in thought for a brief moment, "About eighteen hours sweetie. Not too bad for all you've been through, and congratulations by the way."

Mark chimed in with a proud smile, "Thanks, not that I did any of the work."

Chuckling, Jack shook his head, "Oh you did plenty, who else would get me ice cream at three in the morning in the pouring rain."

As if on queue, Dr. Conrad popped in, "Hey, there's the proud parents. How are the two fathers doing today?"

Mark put his arm around Jack's shoulders, still holding onto the bottle with the other, "I can't say I've ever had a better day. Thanks for all of your help doc."

"Don't mention it, Jack here did most of the work. How are you feeling Jack?"

Snuggling a bit closer to Mark, Jack thought for a moment as he wiggled his toes, "Outside of being in awe of this little one, not that great. I hurt like hell all over."

Holly shook her head and motioned for Mark to take the baby, "Mark would you mind?"

He stood to take the bundle as the nurse spoke up, "Actually, it's time for her to go back to NICU. She can't stay out of the incubator for too long and as long as she's done eating she really needs to go back for a while."

Dr. Conrad could see fear wash over Jack as the nurse took the baby to place her into a small wheeling baby bed. "Jack, it's ok. It's normal for babies who where born prematurely to spend some time in an incubator since their body heat is still quite low, it just helps her stay warm and you can go see her anytime."

He couldn't help it though, Jack started sobbing uncontrollably as his daughter was wheeled out. "No, please.. don't take her. Mark, don't let them take her away." 

Mark wrapped his arms around Jack and let him cry into his shirt, "She has to go for just a bit to warm up, she's just down the hall Jack I promise. Everything's fine and we can see her again in just a few minutes." He tried comforting the man but Jack's hormones made him an emotional wreck.

The machines started beeping again as Holly's eyes shot up to read what stats were alerting. "Alright, I know it's hard and really emotional for you right now but I need you to try to stay calm. Your body still has a lot of healing to do, you lost quite a bit of blood and went into shock during the delivery."

Still holding Jack and rocking him back and forth trying to calm him, Mark started to question what Jack actually went through, "So Doc, what happened exactly?"

"Well, as you know Jack went into labor early. We did try to hold off as long as possible to give the baby time but she wasn't having it. Both Jack and the baby's heartrates spiked and the baby was in distress so we had to jump right into action. Seems Jack's body had an adverse reaction to the medications given to numb him and prepare him for surgery and he went into shock. Jack, you gave us quite a scare and you did have a mild heart attack and lost quite a bit of blood. I'm amazed at how well you've bounced back though, you're a strong one." She said with a big grin on her face. "It looks to me that there shouldn't be any lasting effects of the heart attack but I do have a cardiologist following you just in case. Just take it slow for a bit and maybe in a few days you three can all go home."

The two men let out a breath in unison and held each others hands a bit tighter.

Holly continued, "Jack, I know your emotions are all over the place right now but that's relatively normal, your body has been through a lot so give it some time and you should return to your normal bouncy self again. Oh, by the way, have you two picked out a name yet I have a birth certificate waiting to be filled out?"

"Oh... no, I guess not." Jack looked floored that his daughter didn't even have a name. "Um, can you give us a bit and we'll let you know."

"Alright then, I'll leave you two to it. Can I get you anything besides pain meds Jack?"

He shook his head, seemingly deep in thought. 

Once the door closed, Mark chimed in, "So, any ideas on what we will curse our daughter with for the rest of her life?"

This made Jack chuckle, "Yeah, I think I do... how about Amanda Lyra Fischbach."

Mark looked at Jack surprised, "Fischbach? I thought you wanted her to have your last name?"

"Well, sooner or later it'll be my last name too." Jack leaned his head back on Mark's shoulder again.

It wasn't possible to wipe the smile off Mark's face at this moment in time, "Are you saying yes?"

"You owe me a ring when I get out of here."

"Anything you want. So I know we talked about Amanda but where'd you come up with Lyra, I love it. I mean, I know it's a constellation and all but..."

Jack smiled remembering the soft melody in his dream state as he drifted through space, realizing it was Mark's singing that comforted him. "I chose Lyra because when I was out, I could still hear your voice. You were singing and the music was so soothing to me, like it was part of me.. my life line."

"Do you even realize how much I love you?" Mark placed his hand on Jack's cheek to look him in the eyes.

"I love you too Mark. I can't believe how happy you've made me."

After Jack rested for a bit, Mark agreed to take him down to the NICU to visit Amanda. The two men sat by her incubator, holding hands as Mark softly sang to her. They kept up the same routine until Jack and the baby were released to come home ten days later. This kept Jack's spirits up and by time he got home, the doctor was right, he was back to his bouncy self again. Life definitely has it's ups and downs but if you keep fighting the good fight, things will work out they way they should in the end.


End file.
